Punt like a Pro, without the know!
New Zealand · Wednesday 30 September 2026
Our top pick won 3 of 8 races at Cambridge Synthetic. Every pick, our analysis and the full results are below.
top pick wonanother tip wonno tip won
Improving three-year-old who has placed at both starts over this precise course and trip, including a strong second here last start. He settles handy, which is where you need to be on this synthetic sprint, and the stable has booked one of the leading riders. Lightly raced with plenty of upside and no obvious chink in the profile. The one they all have to beat.
His trainer has an excellent record at this track and a natural step forward from run to run is likely. From gate three he should be able to dictate or sit close to the speed, which this synthetic circuit heavily favours. Rates a genuine winning hope.
She is bred to be sharp over this trip and is well drawn.
A perennial placegetter who has never quite sealed the deal but has run to a high standard over this course and trip, including a sharp second two starts back that reads the best effort in the race. With Pike's stable going well here and a good draw, she is a strong each-way play.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 3 | Itchy Heart | 3 | Jasmine Fawcett | Glenn Old | 57kg | $2.20 |
| 2nd | 2 | Off The Scales | 6 | Joe Doyle | Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray | 57kg | $4.20 |
| 3rd | 6 | Rozezina | 1 | Michael McNab | Lance Noble | 55kg | $8.00 |
| 4th | 5 | Showgirl | 5 | Warren Kennedy | Lance Noble | 55kg | $3.10 |
| 5th | 1 | Lassie | 2 | Lily Sutherland | Guy Lowry and Leah Zydenbos | 57.5kg | $27.00 |
| Scr | 4 | In The Vineyard | 4 | Masahiro Hashizume | Tony Pike | 55kg |
Unbeaten in three starts at this track and trip and arrives off back-to-back Cambridge wins, the latest in a stronger grade. She settles handy and, with no obvious leader in the field, should get the run of the race under in-form rider Michael McNab. The wide gate is the only real query, but her early speed can offset it. Clear top pick.
A Cambridge specialist with four wins and a placing from seven starts here and two wins from three at this trip. Well weighted at 56kg after mixing in stronger company, and gate four lets him sit handy behind the speed. The seven-week gap and a modest rider are the concerns, but his record at this venue makes him the clear main danger.
Drops sharply in class from a much stronger grade and owns a solid synthetic record with four wins, including one here at this trip. From gate three he can lead or sit handy, and he was consistent on this surface before a forgiveable flop on heavy ground last time.
A Cambridge synthetic specialist with 18 starts here and two wins at this trip. She ran a close second and a competitive fourth in stronger Cambridge sprints last preparation and drops slightly in grade today, drawn gate six to settle handy.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 4 | Confectionist | 9 | Michael McNab | Stephen Marsh | 56.5kg | $2.80 |
| 2nd | 8 | Oban | 7 | Elen Nicholas | Karen D Nicholson | 55kg | $9.50 |
| 3rd | 7 | Track Tester | 1 | Lynsey Satherley | Debbie Sweeney | 55.5kg | $14.00 |
| 4th | 3 | Perfect Habit | 10 | George Rooke | Mark Forbes | 57.5kg | $6.50 |
| 5th | 5 | Lucky Ferrando | 2 | Ethan Jones | G, D Rogerson and C Isdale | 56.5kg | $27.00 |
| 6th | 10 | It's Amelia | 5 | Lily Sutherland | Guy Lowry and Leah Zydenbos | 54kg | $35.00 |
| 7th | 1 | Vittorio Veneto | 3 | Rihaan Goyaram | Peter Lock | 59.5kg | $7.00 |
| 8th | 2 | Anton | 4 | Tom Wigram | Glenn Old | 56kg | $7.50 |
| 9th | 9 | King Of The Air | 11 | Courtney Barnes | Stephen Marsh | 54kg | $19.00 |
| 10th | 6 | French Doll | 8 | Matthew Cartwright | Joseph Waldron | 55.5kg | $8.00 |
| 11th | 11 | Cheap Sav | 6 | Masahiro Hashizume | Tarissa Macdonald | 54kg | $35.00 |
Clearly the best-credentialled runner here. His second at Pukekohe earlier in the year was a winning-standard performance and he has been placed at maiden level on rain-affected ground. Michael McNab is riding in great form and teams up strongly with this stable, which knows how to win at Cambridge. The knocks are a 131-day break and a first try at 970m on the synthetic, but his class should carry him a long way.
Ran a bold second over this exact course and distance last start, settling in midfield and finishing well. She handles the synthetic and has the track experience many of these lack. The concern is her rider, who has gone 20 rides without a win, and a slightly awkward draw in eight.
Placed at both career starts as a two-year-old, including a second over 1000m, and resumes here from a long break. Drawn nicely in barrier two, which suits the on-pace pattern at Cambridge. The 248-day layoff and a first look at the synthetic are genuine queries, and the stable has no recent runners to gauge fitness, so he is more a place hope than a winner.
Brings real synthetic form, having run second over 1000m at Awapuni, and he led over this course and distance last start before tiring late. A 20-day freshen and a 2kg claim should help, and the strong on-pace bias at Cambridge 970m plays to his early speed.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1 | Centurial | 7 | Michael McNab | Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson | 58.5kg | $1.80 |
| 2nd | 7 | O'valerie | 1 | George Rooke | Paul Richards | 54kg | $2.70 |
| 3rd | 6 | Handstand | 2 | Joe Doyle | G, D Rogerson and C Isdale | 56kg | $10.00 |
| 4th | 2 | Zac Gary | 5 | Sam McNab | S Ramsay and J Ritchie | 56.5kg | $13.00 |
| 5th | 3 | Mivirgo | 6 | Lily Sutherland | Scott Wenn | 58.5kg | $101.00 |
| 6th | 4 | Apotheosis | 8 | Masahiro Hashizume | S Ramsay and J Ritchie | 56.5kg | $14.00 |
| 7th | 5 | Clicquot Girl | 3 | Tom Wigram | P Gerard | 53.5kg | $46.00 |
| 8th | 8 | Wahine Toa | 4 | A Lawson-Carroll | Danny Walker and Arron Tata | 54kg | $67.00 |
Won her most recent outing at this track and trip and has never finished out of the first two here in five attempts, including two wins. Draws the inside gate, which is a big plus given how much this sprint favours runners settling handy, and she is fit and racing in good heart.
She lands a good gate for an on-pace type and her rider is going well at Cambridge. She steps up slightly in grade and is second-up off a spell, so she may be a fraction vulnerable, but she is a must for the placings.
A genuine track and distance specialist with three wins and two seconds from seven starts here, and never out of the first three. She is racing consistently with two wins and two seconds in her last four, and her leading stable is strong at Cambridge. The knock is her habit of settling back in the field on a track that favours leaders, and she rises in class, but she is hard to leave out.
His best form is high-class and the stable knows how to ready one first-up.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 8 | O'sweet Darling | 3 | Hyeontaek Oh | Chad K Ormsby | 50kg | $6.50 |
| 2nd | 5 | Pink Gin | 8 | Sam McNab | Tony Pike | 55kg | $7.50 |
| 3rd | 3 | Lady Iris | 1 | Tom Wigram | Stephen Marsh | 59kg | $4.20 |
| 4th | 2 | Legally Binding | 5 | Cooper Stumbles | Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson | 59kg | $10.00 |
| 5th | 7 | Paravane | 4 | Hayley Hassman | Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson | 55kg | $4.80 |
| 6th | 6 | Zivou | 2 | Abinith Simon | Roger James and Robert Wellwood | 53kg | $3.10 |
| 7th | 4 | Seamsew | 7 | Joe Doyle | M A Treweek | 59.5kg | $20.00 |
| 8th | 1 | Basel Warrior | 6 | Sienna Brown | Jim Collett | 61kg | $51.00 |
Rocky Balboa is the race's only true leader and looks set to control a slow tempo, a scenario that suits him perfectly given how strongly Cambridge synthetic staying races favour the on-pace brigade. He has placed at his last three outings and has run to a winning level over this trip on the course. The obvious query is a record with no wins from 24, but this weakened field gives him his best chance yet.
Silkdegrees arrives on a significant class drop after contesting stronger company, and she is proven over this exact course and distance, including a narrow second in a higher grade two starts back. Her recent form is consistent at a level above this. The concerns are the seven-kilogram rise in weight and a run style that may be compromised by the expected slow tempo.
However, she has never raced over 2000m and is yet to salute on a synthetic surface, so the step up in trip is a genuine unknown.
Arkadus drops out of stronger company and has repeatedly run to a decent standard over this course and distance, including a placed effort at this trip last start at Cambridge. Patient runners hold up well in staying races here, which suits his style.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2 | Niagara Sky | 2 | George Rooke | Ralph Manning | 58kg | $3.40 |
| 2nd | 4 | So Be It | 4 | Masahiro Hashizume | S N Rees | 57.5kg | $11.60 |
| 3rd | 5 | Rocky Balboa | 5 | Matthew Cartwright | G, D Rogerson and C Isdale | 57kg | $3.50 |
| 4th | 8 | Basilthegreek | 3 | Michael McNab | Dean Howard | 55kg | $5.00 |
| 5th | 1 | Melkor | 8 | Lily Sutherland | G, D Rogerson and C Isdale | 59kg | $8.10 |
| 6th | 7 | Awaken | 1 | Rihaan Goyaram | Brent Pinny | 53kg | $21.80 |
| 7th | 3 | Silkdegrees | 6 | Joe Doyle | Phillip Stevens | 58kg | $10.00 |
| 8th | 6 | Arkadus | 7 | Lynsey Satherley | Rachel Masters | 56kg | $15.90 |
A genuine course-and-distance specialist who has won four of six at Cambridge over 2000m. From the inside gate she can settle handy in what shapes as a slowly-run race and be strong late. Top weight and an eight-year-old's mileage are the obvious risks, but the form case is the strongest in the field.
She gets a jockey in tremendous form who has a strong record on her, and she drops in class. The knocks are a four-day back-up off a tough win, top weight and a wide draw, and she no longer gets the 4.5kg pull over Above The Clouds that helped her last time they met.
Your likely lone front-runner, and she proved she can dominate here by leading throughout to win at this exact track, trip and grade last start. With no obvious rival for the lead and the tempo expected to be slow, she could get an easy time in front, and Cambridge strongly favours horses on the speed.
He's a consistent type who rarely runs a poor race, and his stable does well at Cambridge.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1 | Above The Clouds | 1 | Rihaan Goyaram | Ralph Manning | 59.5kg | $4.20 |
| 2nd | 3 | Keeper's Heart | 3 | Joe Doyle | Jim Collett | 59.5kg | $19.00 |
| 3rd | 5 | Roederer | 2 | Courtney Barnes | Josh King and Maija Vance | 55.5kg | $7.00 |
| 4th | 4 | Bright Thoughts | 5 | Matthew Cartwright | Stephen Marsh | 55.5kg | $13.00 |
| 5th | 7 | Tarzador | 6 | George Rooke | G, D Rogerson and C Isdale | 54.5kg | $11.00 |
| 6th | 2 | Mulan Ardeche | 7 | Michael McNab | Stephen Marsh | 59.5kg | $2.15 |
| 7th | 6 | Cyber Patch | 4 | Ethan Jones | Catherine Cameron | 55kg | $7.00 |
The class runner and the one they all have to beat. The race maps as a slow tempo with him the lone leader, which is exactly the setup this track rewards. The obvious knock is 21 starts without a win, but the opposition is thin.
He is yet to be tested on the synthetic, which is the query, but the low draw and a handy settling position give him every chance to be prominent in a race short of on-pace depth. Strong rider-trainer numbers add confidence.
A lightly raced mare who produced a nice closing effort for fourth at this track last start and should be fitter second-up. She has room to improve being so lightly tried, and the low draw helps. The worry is the race shape: with only one genuine leader and a likely slow tempo, a get-back style is not the profile this track rewards, so she will need things to fall her way.
She has proven form at this course and distance, having placed twice here, and she likes to race on the speed, which is exactly what this track rewards and where the race is short of rivals.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2 | Play | 3 | George Rooke | G, D Rogerson and C Isdale | 58.5kg | $3.10 |
| 2nd | 1 | Force Of Law | 5 | Michael McNab | P Gerard | 58.5kg | $1.60 |
| 3rd | 6 | Dare You | 6 | Masahiro Hashizume | S N Rees | 56.5kg | $27.50 |
| 4th | 5 | Messi Man | 7 | Matthew Cartwright | G, D Rogerson and C Isdale | 58.5kg | $25.00 |
| 5th | 7 | Refraction | 1 | Jasmine Fawcett | Glenn Old | 56.5kg | $14.40 |
| 6th | 4 | Blink Twice | 8 | Ethan Jones | Catherine Cameron | 58.5kg | $39.20 |
| 7th | 8 | Ice Lass | 4 | Hyeontaek Oh | P Devcich | 52.5kg | $74.90 |
| 8th | 3 | Iron Throne | 2 | Lily Sutherland | Darrel Lang | 58.5kg | $13.70 |
| 9th | 9 | She No Opillio | 9 | A Lawson-Carroll | M and K Murdoch | 56.5kg | $86.10 |
A genuine Cambridge specialist who has won five times here and placed three more. The last-start turf flop can be excused as he is a different horse on the synthetic. Top weight and a jockey without a recent win are the main knocks, but he looks the safest form pick.
Drawn well in two and races handy, which is exactly what this track rewards. Still rates a leading hope on current form.
She has stakes-winning form and runs to a high standard, and the inside draw suits this track's on-pace lean. But she has been off for five months, steps up in grade and has never seen a synthetic surface, and she has no winning form when fresh.
She gets in light at 51kg and closes strongly, a profile that can capitalise if the leaders go too hard.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 10 | Alezando | 3 | George Rooke | G, D Rogerson and C Isdale | 54kg | $31.20 |
| 2nd | 3 | Perlino | 1 | Hayley Hassman | Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson | 57kg | $3.00 |
| 3rd | 9 | Perfect Pour | 9 | Matthew Cartwright | Stephen Marsh | 54kg | $17.60 |
| 4th | 6 | The Trendsetter | 4 | Courtney Barnes | Stephen Marsh | 54kg | $13.60 |
| 5th | 11 | Shamwari | 5 | Rihaan Goyaram | Mark Forbes | 52kg | $5.30 |
| 6th | 1 | Lerado | 2 | Tom Wigram | Stephen Marsh | 59kg | $9.00 |
| 7th | 2 | Spanish Lad | 7 | Masahiro Hashizume | John W Bell | 59.5kg | $5.00 |
| 8th | 5 | Altiplano | 8 | Lily Sutherland | John W Bell | 54.5kg | $15.70 |
| 9th | 7 | Savina | 6 | Joe Doyle | Stephen Marsh | 54kg | $7.50 |
| Scr | 4 | Digger | 11 | Darrell Hollinshead | 56kg | ||
| Scr | 8 | Emmy Dazzler | 10 | Sienna Brown | Chris Wood | 51kg |
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.