Punt like a Pro, without the know!
Victoria · Tuesday 22 September 2026
Our top pick won 4 of 8 races at Swan Hill. Every pick, our analysis and the full results are below.
top pick wonanother tip wonno tip won
She is the only genuine speed in the race at a track that strongly favours on-pace runners over the mile. The rise to 1600m and the wide gate are the risks, but with Coffey aboard she should control the race.
The most consistent form horse in the race. Two starts for a Mildura second and an Echuca fourth, with the latter a strong run against the clock on a heavy track. Bred to get further and the mile should suit. The concern is his racing pattern: he settles back and Swan Hill is unkind to backmarkers over 1600m, and the jockey booking is weak.
He has ability, shown when running well at Sandown wide throughout, and the inside draw with a top rider makes him a legitimate chance if he improves second up. Third pick, place only.
She races on speed, which is exactly where you want to be at Swan Hill, and dropping from 2200m to 1600m should sharpen her. Her Pakenham run on heavy ground earlier this year was a strong effort. Rider and weight both suit.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 10 | Oceans Fouroseven | 10 | Harry Coffey | Leon, Troy Corstens and Will Larkin | 55kg | $2.15 |
| 2nd | 7 | Windhowler | 1 | Brad Rawiller | Ben, Will and JD Hayes | 59.5kg | $3.20 |
| 3rd | 3 | King Fleance | 3 | Cian Macredmond | Richard Cully | 59.5kg | $4.00 |
| 4th | 4 | My Alpha Sonic | 7 | Mitchell Aitken | Tayne Davies | 59.5kg | $21.00 |
| 5th | 5 | Roughnut | 2 | Chelsea Taylor | Jane Duncan | 59.5kg | $31.00 |
| 6th | 1 | Alarming | 5 | Sarah Field | Vincent Malady | 58kg | $71.00 |
| 7th | 6 | Son Of Vadamos | 4 | Stacey Metcalfe | Raharna McDonald | 59.5kg | $51.00 |
| 8th | 9 | Eminent Ella | 6 | Logan McNeil | Nathan Hobson | 57.5kg | $151.00 |
| 9th | 8 | Creusa | 8 | Will Gordon | Leigh Graham | 58kg | $16.00 |
| 10th | 2 | Brother George | 9 | Ryan Hurdle | Tayne Davies | 59.5kg | $101.00 |
Her Warrnambool second was the strongest run in this field and she has placed at every start including on Good ground. With two genuine leaders likely to set a solid tempo, barrier 1 and Bates in the saddle, she should get every chance to run over the top of them.
His Pakenham jump-out win was encouraging but he was well beaten in a Seymour trial nine days ago, and the stable's recent strike rate is modest.
He draws to get a lovely trail behind the leaders from barrier 2, which is where Swan Hill winners come from, and the Kersley-Smith combination is a proven one.
He has been competitive at both starts and is trending the right way, and his forward racing style is exactly what wins at Swan Hill.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 6 | Strong Tempo | 4 | Harry Coffey | Ben, Will and JD Hayes | 58kg | $3.10 |
| 2nd | 3 | Do The Dirty | 8 | Billy Egan | Leon, Troy Corstens and Will Larkin | 58kg | $10.00 |
| 3rd | 1 | Count Chevalier | 7 | Brad Rawiller | Ben, Will and JD Hayes | 58kg | $12.00 |
| 4th | 10 | Silent Devotion | 1 | Declan Bates | Henry Dwyer | 56kg | $2.10 |
| 5th | 7 | Green To Gold | 3 | Lachlan King | Timothy Fitzsimmons | 56kg | $14.00 |
| 6th | 5 | Quarter Mile | 5 | Will Gordon | Ben, Will and JD Hayes | 58kg | $11.00 |
| 7th | 2 | Desert Oak | 10 | Mitchell Aitken | Rob Blacker | 58kg | $21.00 |
| Scr | 4 | Magnum | 2 | Lindsey Smith | 58kg | ||
| Scr | 8 | Lady Blanc | 9 | Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young | 56kg | ||
| Scr | 9 | Reve De Paris | 6 | Patrick Kearney | 57kg |
So Star has been placed at Seymour and Terang and both efforts were of a genuine winning standard, which no rival here has matched. He maps to lead at Swan Hill where front-runners and handy types win most sprints, and he has a fitness trial under his belt. The wide-ish gate is the only real query but he has the speed to cross.
The 1300m at Bendigo looked beyond him and 1200m is a better fit. Blinkers go on and a fast tempo should set the race up for his finish. The catch is that he settles near the rear at a track that heavily favours on-pace runners, so he needs luck. Best of the rest for the placings.
See No City shows enough on Good ground to be a place chance, with a competitive Echuca third over this trip and a Bendigo jump-out win suggesting he returns ready. He bled at his last race start, so today is effectively a fresh run after six months. Place only.
The main danger. Coffey is the track's top rider and the stable is in form. The wide draw is the main worry given how poorly wide gates have fared here, though a handful of emergencies without jockeys may improve it.
Ted Percy is a raw improver whose Mildura debut reads far better than a fifth placing. He was slow to begin, was crowded in the straight and still hit the line with purpose in a race that stacked up well against the class standard.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 5 | So Star | 10 | Billy Egan | Patrick Payne | 59.5kg | $1.20 |
| 2nd | 11 | Platinum Rush | 6 | Sarah Field | Charles Cassar | 56kg | $9.50 |
| 3rd | 6 | Ted Percy | 9 | Chelsea Taylor | Nathan Hobson | 59.5kg | $31.00 |
| 4th | 1 | Boss Bundle | 8 | Will Gordon | Ben, Will and JD Hayes | 59.5kg | $12.00 |
| 5th | 3 | Invisible Caravan | 5 | Logan McNeil | Nathan Hobson | 59.5kg | $21.00 |
| 6th | 13 | Queen Of Arendelle | 3 | Neil Farley | Charles Cassar | 57.5kg | $26.00 |
| 7th | 18 | Donvilla D'or | 11 | Nathan Punch | Nathan Hobson | 57.5kg | $91.00 |
| 8th | 15 | Mark's Magus | 1 | Dean Yendall | Brian and Ashley McKnight | 57.5kg | $31.00 |
| 9th | 14 | Regal Time | 4 | Stacey Metcalfe | Raharna McDonald | 57.5kg | $41.00 |
| 10th | 9 | Itscharatabuilding | 7 | Adam McCabe | Dani Walker | 57.5kg | $91.00 |
| 11th | 7 | Bronwyn Lady | 2 | Mitchell Aitken | Raharna McDonald | 57.5kg | $151.00 |
| Scr | 2 | Dimachaerus | 12 | Timothy Fitzsimmons | 59.5kg | ||
| Scr | 4 | See No City | 16 | Chelsea Jokic | Graeme McQueen | 59.5kg | |
| Scr | 8 | Fully Funded | 14 | Mark W Walker | 57.5kg | ||
| Scr | 10 | Meggie Noodles | 17 | Linc Sullivan | 57.5kg | ||
| Scr | 12 | Princess Geisha | 15 | Patrick Payne | 57.5kg | ||
| Scr | 16 | Wunderlust | 19 | Michael Sell | 57.5kg | ||
| Scr | 17 | Larza City | 18 | Gwenda Johnstone | 57.5kg | ||
| Scr | 19 | Valorada | 13 | Claire Patterson | 57.5kg |
She maps well from barrier 4 under a jockey who goes well here. A clear top-two chance but not the value.
Up The Front will get the tempo he needs with two leaders ensuring a fast pace, and his Mildura run under 62.5kg was better than the finishing position suggests. He also has the best rider in the race. However, he has only won twice in 13 starts, was beaten in a weaker BM56 last time out, and will be coming from the back at a track where backmarkers rarely win over sprint trips.
She drops to the lightest weight in the race and has already placed twice at this track and distance.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1 | Monix | 1 | Chelsea Taylor | Nathan Hobson | 62.5kg | $3.90 |
| 2nd | 6 | Meet Me Halfway | 4 | Harry Coffey | Ben, Will and JD Hayes | 58.5kg | $4.60 |
| 3rd | 3 | Up The Front | 6 | John Allen | Brent Stanley | 59.5kg | $3.70 |
| 4th | 7 | Reward The Sheriff | 2 | Logan McNeil | Nathan Hobson | 58kg | $5.50 |
| 5th | 8 | Simply Luscious | 7 | Sarah Field | Nathan Hobson | 55.5kg | $15.00 |
| 6th | 2 | Bolocco Bob | 5 | Adam McCabe | Dani Walker | 60kg | $51.00 |
| 7th | 4 | Sakasu | 8 | Mitchell Aitken | Helen Burns | 59kg | $41.00 |
| 8th | 5 | Epic Centre | 3 | Jade Smith | Annalise Maragos | 55.5kg | $5.50 |
| Scr | 9 | Noble Style | 9 | Smiley Chan | 55.5kg |
Explosive Magic is the form horse on what she has actually done on a racetrack. Her June second over this exact course and distance was the best race run in this field and came with traffic trouble near the 250m. Her two runs since have legitimate excuses – heavy ground she failed to handle, then a longer trip at Geelong.
Mcphillips is the pick of the debutants. The Payne stable does not waste starts, Billy Egan is a strong booking for the stable, and the horse's trial and jump-out form has been building toward a narrow Seymour trial second on 11 September. The concerns are the awkward barrier and the fact that he must show more speed on race day than he has in some of his jump-outs.
Today's set-up, with two genuine leaders likely to burn each other off, is the best scenario he has struck – he can sit fourth or fifth behind the speed and run past tiring horses. John Allen is a big plus.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 9 | Mcphillips | 9 | Billy Egan | Patrick Payne | 57kg | $3.10 |
| 2nd | 12 | Explosive Magic | 4 | Alana Kelly | Liam Howley | 55kg | $3.00 |
| 3rd | 5 | The Buncha | 12 | Harry Coffey | Paul McVicar | 59.5kg | $26.00 |
| 4th | 3 | Maynard | 5 | John Allen | Vincent Malady | 59.5kg | $5.00 |
| 5th | 6 | Titus Augustus | 1 | Jack Martin | Toby Lake | 59.5kg | $91.00 |
| 6th | 1 | Full Of Knowledge | 7 | Adam McCabe | Dani Walker | 59.5kg | $21.00 |
| 7th | 8 | Just Dusty | 8 | Ryan Hurdle | Linc Sullivan | 57.5kg | $51.00 |
| 8th | 11 | Assisi | 10 | Dean Yendall | Matt Cumani | 55kg | $8.00 |
| 9th | 4 | Street Painter | 6 | Brad Rawiller | Leigh Graham | 59.5kg | $91.00 |
| 10th | 7 | Chasing Atlantis | 3 | Sarah Field | Charles Cassar | 56kg | $9.00 |
| Scr | 2 | He's A Dandy | 2 | Ben, Will and JD Hayes | 59.5kg | ||
| Scr | 10 | Alvear | 11 | Ben, Will and JD Hayes | 55.5kg |
Today the map is in his favour: he is the quickest to begin, the pace looks slow, and Swan Hill staying races are won by horses on or near the lead. He sheds 3kg and has a strong stable behind him.
He also gets back in his races and Swan Hill staying races heavily favour the on-pace horses in a slowly-run race.
Highland Glory comes here fresh off a Hamilton win and, with her on-pace racing style from an inside draw, maps ideally for the Swan Hill staying pattern. Her record at 2400m tells the real story though: 19 attempts without a win but 11 placings, so she is a consistent placegetter rather than a likely winner at this trip. On a Good track her winning strike rate is also poor.
Dandruff is the forgotten horse of the race. He has won two of his three starts at Swan Hill, all over 2400m, and his last-start Mildura fourth from the rear after a slow start was a run of winning standard. He is a Good-track horse, drops 3kg and draws the fence with a jockey who has won on him.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 5 | Dandruff | 1 | Dean Yendall | Toby Lake | 57kg | $9.00 |
| 2nd | 7 | Verifier | 6 | John Allen | Nigel Blackiston | 57kg | $3.80 |
| 3rd | 9 | Kawhia | 3 | Neil Farley | Dane Smith | 55kg | $31.00 |
| 4th | 6 | Highland Glory | 4 | Alana Kelly | Dan O'Sullivan | 57kg | $10.00 |
| 5th | 2 | Compressing | 5 | Brad Rawiller | Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young | 59kg | $6.00 |
| 6th | 1 | Legend Beast | 7 | Harry Coffey | Ben, Will and JD Hayes | 61kg | $5.50 |
| 7th | 10 | Circa | 9 | Jade Smith | Anne Blackburn | 54kg | $71.00 |
| 8th | 4 | Fonn Power | 8 | Billy Egan | Patrick Payne | 57.5kg | $2.80 |
| 9th | 8 | Conaltri | 10 | Sarah Field | Helen Burns | 52.5kg | $201.00 |
| Scr | 3 | Intuitu | 2 | Brent Stanley | 58kg |
Sound Of Jura is a genuine miler with four wins at the trip, is a proven second-up performer, and his Swan Hill run in March with 63.5kg was up to a winning standard at this level. The Seymour first-up sixth was a typical building run from the back. With three leaders promising a solid tempo and an inside gate to save ground, he can be finishing over the top of them.
The mare's last two runs stack up with anything in this race and her strong finish is exactly what a fast-run mile at Swan Hill demands. The main query is the surface: she has never won on Good ground and has done all her best work on Soft. With the track drying from Soft 5 to Good 4 and likely holding some moisture early, she is not out of it.
A mare who has been racing well without winning on wet tracks and now returns to Good ground for the first time since her maiden win. The setup is ideal: inside draw, light weight, a midfield spot behind three genuine leaders, and a trainer in outstanding form. Each-way value.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 3 | Sound Of Jura | 5 | Mitchell Aitken | Anne Yates | 60.5kg | $9.50 |
| 2nd | 6 | Mike's Hope | 15 | Harry Coffey | Ben, Will and JD Hayes | 59kg | $6.50 |
| 3rd | 7 | Surfy Pete | 10 | Will Gordon | Paul Preusker | 59kg | $12.00 |
| 4th | 12 | Habitual | 13 | Neil Farley | Marita Lawson | 58kg | $2.30 |
| 5th | 8 | Callistemon | 8 | Stacey Metcalfe | Cindy Brander | 58.5kg | $6.50 |
| 6th | 17 | Ring The Sheriff | 7 | Chelsea Taylor | Nathan Hobson | 56.5kg | $151.00 |
| 7th | 14 | Queen Of Cordoba | 4 | Ryan Hurdle | Michael Jones | 57kg | $12.00 |
| 8th | 9 | Koning | 2 | Nathan Punch | Gwenda Johnstone | 58.5kg | $91.00 |
| 9th | 2 | Blacklist | 12 | Sarah Field | Nathan Hobson | 59.5kg | $17.00 |
| 10th | 15 | Solar Mist | 16 | Jack Martin | Con Kelly | 57kg | $31.00 |
| 11th | 1 | Baby Rider | 11 | Jade Smith | Helen Burns | 58kg | $101.00 |
| 12th | 11 | Brazen Warrior | 9 | Billy Egan | Patrick Payne | 58kg | $18.00 |
| 13th | 16 | Drunken Sailor | 1 | Adam McCabe | Con Kelly | 56.5kg | $21.00 |
| Scr | 4 | Hurco | 17 | Liam Howley | 59kg | ||
| Scr | 5 | Jawsome Rob | 3 | Annalise Maragos | 59kg | ||
| Scr | 10 | Savannah Chill | 19 | Ben, Will and JD Hayes | 58.5kg | ||
| Scr | 13 | Rebel's Idol | 14 | Logan McNeil | Jane Duncan | 58kg | |
| Scr | 18 | Forest Jim | 6 | Clifford Brown | 56kg | ||
| Scr | 19 | Hydrogen Power | 18 | Nathan Hobson | 56kg |
The Bendigo first-up run was fine given she was wide without cover over 1100m. With three genuine leaders setting up a very fast tempo she will get her chance from midfield.
He is drawn well and races on the speed, which suits this track in isolation, but with Justique and Graham also wanting to lead the tempo should be genuinely fast and he may be a sitting shot late.
She ran second to Where's My Sock over this course and distance at this exact grade in April and won at Kerang from the tail of the field a fortnight earlier, both of those runs were of a winning standard on good ground. The 1000m sprint first-up was never going to suit and she can improve sharply back to 1300m. With three leaders and a very fast tempo predicted, she gets the race shape she needs.
He gets in light at 57kg and the three-way speed battle should set the race up for a horse coming from behind.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2 | Royal Infantry | 1 | John Allen | Patrick Kearney | 60.5kg | $7.50 |
| 2nd | 5 | Shalailed | 15 | Will Gordon | Con Kelly | 60kg | $26.00 |
| 3rd | 8 | Decanted | 5 | Lachlan King | Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young | 58kg | $4.20 |
| 4th | 17 | Chosen Venture | 10 | Chelsea Taylor | Nathan Hobson | 57kg | $17.00 |
| 5th | 7 | Attain | 3 | Stacey Metcalfe | Raharna McDonald | 58.5kg | $11.00 |
| 6th | 10 | Mamuno | 4 | Harry Coffey | Clifford Brown | 58kg | $5.00 |
| 7th | 1 | Where's My Sock | 11 | Neil Farley | Nathan Hobson | 61kg | $6.50 |
| 8th | 15 | Pick A Symphony | 16 | Billy Egan | Patrick Payne | 57.5kg | $7.00 |
| 9th | 12 | Elle Mcfearsome | 8 | Ryan Hurdle | Aileen Vanderfeen | 57kg | $41.00 |
| 10th | 16 | Poetic Storm | 2 | Sarah Field | Con Kelly | 53.5kg | $71.00 |
| 11th | 4 | Graham | 7 | Chelsea Jokic | Aileen Vanderfeen | 60kg | $81.00 |
| 12th | 6 | Late Harvest | 6 | Brad Rawiller | Neil Dyer | 59.5kg | $8.50 |
| 13th | 19 | Dashing Rebel | 13 | Nathan Punch | Brian and Ashley McKnight | 54kg | $151.00 |
| Scr | 3 | Baganov | 19 | Nick Ryan | 60kg | ||
| Scr | 9 | Justique | 18 | Ben, Will and JD Hayes | 58kg | ||
| Scr | 11 | Sugar Schnapps | 12 | Ben, Will and JD Hayes | 57.5kg | ||
| Scr | 13 | No Overtaking | 9 | Brent Stanley | 57kg | ||
| Scr | 14 | Ice Quake | 14 | Simon Zahra | 56kg | ||
| Scr | 18 | Stand By Me Ned | 17 | Alana Kelly | Marita Lawson | 55.5kg |
Before the races, not after
Our top three picks and a value pick for every race, with assessed prices, speed maps and the analysis behind them. Free for 7 days.