Punt like a Pro, without the know!
Tasmania · Friday 2 October 2026
Our top pick won 3 of 8 races at Launceston. Every pick, our analysis and the full results are below.
top pick wonanother tip wonno tip won
Her last two starts were narrow seconds in this grade, and her Launceston fourth seven days ago from barrier 10, after settling back, was better than the margin. Barrier 3 lets her sit handy in a moderate tempo, which is the spot that wins early on this course. She has placed on soft and heavy.
Vortistar is the main danger because he can be on the speed, and leaders have been the strongest pattern at Launceston, especially in early races. He has a soft second over this course and distance and trials say he is ready.
Geegees Ace brings the best last-start performance in the field, finishing strongly into sixth at Launceston after giving them a start, and he has already won on soft at today's trip. Barrier 2 is the right draw if Dempsey can tuck in. He is only third because the map has him near the rear, and horses that settle back win this track rarely. One win from seven with no seconds or thirds means he needs everything to go right. Place is the stake.
Say It With Words is the value. He is the only runner in the race with both a win at Launceston over 1200m and a win on soft, and 54kg from barrier 5 is a comfortable setup.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 3 | Vortistar | 9 | Erica Byrne Burke | Adam Trinder | 58.5kg | $4.40 |
| 2nd | 4 | Genuine Lady | 8 | Hayley McCarthy | Monica Ryan | 57kg | $21.00 |
| 3rd | 1 | Geegees Ace | 2 | Luke P Dempsey | Stuart Gandy | 58.5kg | $4.60 |
| 4th | 5 | Geegees Mercedes | 3 | Chloe Wells | Stuart Gandy | 56kg | $3.10 |
| 5th | 8 | Peak A Boom | 1 | Kirra-Lee Lane | John Blacker | 52kg | $9.00 |
| 6th | 2 | Verhoeven | 4 | Troy Baker | Sigrid Carr | 58.5kg | $9.00 |
| 7th | 6 | Diesel's Sunshine | 7 | Lauryn Bingley | Andrew Roach | 55kg | $41.00 |
| 8th | 9 | Say It With Words | 5 | Carleen Hefel | Leon Wells | 54kg | $16.00 |
| 9th | 7 | Super Snippy | 6 | Craig Newitt | Mark Ganderton | 55kg | $13.00 |
She has already won three times on soft ground, knows Launceston, and from barrier one can sit just behind Lawrenny Boys and Geegeeschaser in a moderate tempo.
Second-up she has one placing from two starts, and that last run did not have the same authority as Fluffy's Girl. She maps to be in the first half and is the each-way runner most likely to fill the quinella if the leader burns them.
Street Diva is the course specialist. Barrier 11 means she needs luck to find a run into a short straight, and the rider is out of form. The trial suggests she is ready to race.
He is one of two leaders, has done his best racing on soft tracks, and earlier in the year led and ran right up to open and Class 1 horses before a tired tenth. If Kyle Hocking can angle across without being trapped wide, a moderate tempo lets him control the race.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 12 | Brave Jet | 3 | Erica Byrne Burke | Angela Brakey | 56kg | $4.40 |
| 2nd | 5 | Diamond Indaruf | 5 | Ruby Lamont | Matthew Brown | 54.5kg | $4.80 |
| 3rd | 6 | Fluffy's Girl | 1 | Christopher Pang | Christie Burt | 55.5kg | $4.60 |
| 4th | 4 | The Wizard King | 2 | Craig Newitt | John Keys | 58kg | $5.50 |
| 5th | 10 | Zuni | 8 | Kirra-Lee Lane | Mark Ganderton | 55.5kg | $8.50 |
| 6th | 1 | Street Diva | 11 | Robyn Lynch | Jessie Bazan | 56.5kg | $11.00 |
| 7th | 2 | Popilita | 4 | Indi Bowles | Graeme McCulloch | 54.5kg | $26.00 |
| 7th | 11 | Geegeeschaser | 9 | Lauryn Bingley | Amanda Jones | 55.5kg | $13.00 |
| 9th | 9 | Wild Nights | 7 | Carleen Hefel | John Blacker | 57.5kg | $18.00 |
| Scr | 3 | Lawrenny Boys | 12 | John Keys | 58kg | ||
| Scr | 7 | Geegees Downpour | 6 | Stuart Gandy | 57.5kg | ||
| Scr | 8 | Material Madam | 10 | Stuart Gandy | 57.5kg |
Roland View is the form horse. She was only half a length off them here over 1100m last start after racing handy, and her Hobart third on soft was the best exposed wet-track effort in the field. Three leaders should ensure pressure, which suits a horse who can sit just off them.
Bewicked brings the best race record at the course and distance, with a second in open company and a third on soft, and she drops to a maiden under 52kg. She is the natural leader and Launceston rewards horses who can hold a forward spot. The concern is doing that from barrier 11 in a race with three speed horses, a setup that can empty a leader.
Her best public run came on soft at this track in open company, and a very fast pace is the scenario she needs. She is still a non-winner who maps back on a course where position at the 400m usually decides 1100m races, and she has been off the racetrack since February.
Sh'bourne Top Gun is the value play among the first-starters. He has no raceday form, which is not held against him, and the proxies are friendly: barrier 2, two narrow trial seconds on soft ground including Soft 6, and a leading rider in Sanderson. Hallowed Crown gives him a sprinting profile that fits 1100m.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2 | Gilly's Boy | 9 | Troy Baker | Sarah Cotton | 58.5kg | $6.50 |
| 2nd | 1 | Alpine Whiskey | 5 | Indi Bowles | Bradley Franklin | 54.5kg | $4.80 |
| 3rd | 5 | Nine Choirs | 3 | Christopher Pang | Stuart Gandy | 54.5kg | $41.00 |
| 4th | 3 | Warrior Son | 4 | Luke P Dempsey | Bradley Franklin | 58.5kg | $19.00 |
| 5th | 7 | Office Award | 12 | Lauryn Bingley | John Blacker | 56kg | $14.00 |
| 6th | 4 | Awesome Orphan | 15 | Erica Byrne Burke | Michael Trinder | 56.5kg | $14.00 |
| 7th | 6 | Roland View | 14 | Hayley McCarthy | Dylan Clark | 56.5kg | $6.00 |
| 8th | 9 | Bewicked | 11 | Ruby Lamont | Sigrid Carr | 51kg | $6.50 |
| 9th | 8 | Sh'bourne Top Gun | 2 | Kelvin Sanderson | Stuart Gandy | 56kg | $5.00 |
| 10th | 10 | California Crown | 13 | Kirra-Lee Lane | Glenn Stevenson | 52kg | $8.00 |
| Scr | 11 | The Red She Devil | 7 | Barry Baker | 56.5kg | ||
| Scr | 12 | Copper Reign | 8 | Stuart Gandy | 54kg | ||
| Scr | 13 | Olindah | 6 | Jessie Bazan | 54kg | ||
| Scr | 14 | Effrontery | 10 | Glenn Stevenson | 56.5kg | ||
| Scr | 15 | Noble | 1 | Sigrid Carr | 58.5kg |
Alpine Fury is the clearest winning chance. He is unbeaten in three starts at 1400m, including two at Launceston, and he has won both previous second-up runs. A fortnight ago he carried this same 59kg to a Class 2 win here, sweeping up from just off the pace. Soft form of 4:1-1-0 suits a Soft 6, and barrier 6 lets him camp outside lone leader Bellsprout, the map this track rewards on a Friday. The class rise and a quiet jockey are the doubts, but he is the horse to beat.
Bellsprout is the tactical danger. He is the only horse who wants the lead, from barrier 3, in a 1400m race expected to go slowly, and Launceston heavily favours runners who settle in the first three. His latest Class 2 win at Devonport was an all-the-way display good enough for this company. The surface is the catch: he has never won on soft in six starts, all three career wins are on synthetic, and he is still unplaced in three runs here. Second-up he is 0 from 4.
He is not the top pick because the race shape is against him. He maps as a backmarker behind a lone leader in a slowly run 1400m, his second-up record is one start without a win, and the stable wins only 7% here. The eye-catching run was on synthetic, not soft turf.
She has the deepest soft-track experience in the race, two wins and eight minor placings from 16 starts on rain-affected ground, and she gets in with 52.5kg after Robyn Lynch's claim. In a field of six a midfield sit leaves her close enough if Bellsprout only walks them. She wins only 8% of her starts and her latest second was a tired effort in front, which keeps her out of the top three.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1 | Alpine Fury | 6 | Daniel Ganderton | Glenn Stevenson | 59kg | $3.10 |
| 2nd | 4 | Bellsprout | 3 | Chloe Wells | Mark Ganderton | 57kg | $5.00 |
| 3rd | 3 | Thickskinned | 1 | Erica Byrne Burke | Mark Ganderton | 57.5kg | $1.85 |
| 4th | 6 | Snow Eagle | 4 | Craig Newitt | Jessie Bazan | 55.5kg | $12.00 |
| Scr | 2 | Alfarino | 2 | Imogen Miller | 58.5kg | ||
| Scr | 5 | Cool Heart | 5 | Jessie Bazan | 56.5kg | ||
| Scr | 7 | Brave Jet | 7 | Angela Brakey | 54kg |
Fuel On The Fire is the form horse. He has a win and two seconds from four soft starts, has been placed at all three tries near 1400m, and his last-start third at this track came after sitting second the trip from barrier 13. He maps to lead or box-seat in a moderate tempo, the right profile for Friday night at Launceston.
He is not the top selection because the win record is one from 16, he has never won on soft from five attempts, and he is drawn to settle midfield on a Friday card that rewards horses in the first three.
Sir William broke his maiden by leading throughout over this course and distance, and he maps to dispute the lead again from barrier 4 with the same rider. Even so, Friday racing at Launceston is dominated by horses that settle in the first three, and he is one of only two genuine leaders. He is the each-way map runner behind the two main chances.
Her soft record reads 14 starts for a win and five seconds, and her August second in a Hobart Class 1 on soft ground was up to a winning standard after coming from last. She is the each-way outsider.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 3 | Wolf Junior | 3 | Craig Newitt | Barry Campbell | 58.5kg | $1.90 |
| 2nd | 2 | Stollaway Ned | 9 | Erica Byrne Burke | John Blacker | 59kg | $11.00 |
| 3rd | 5 | I'm A Machine | 1 | Kirra-Lee Lane | Drew Tyson | 54.5kg | $20.00 |
| 4th | 1 | Fuel On The Fire | 6 | Luke P Dempsey | Stuart Gandy | 59kg | $3.20 |
| 5th | 8 | South Georgia | 8 | Lauryn Bingley | Terence Evans | 54kg | $18.00 |
| 6th | 7 | Bella Chinkara | 7 | Troy Baker | John Blacker | 54.5kg | $14.00 |
| 7th | 4 | Sir William | 4 | Carleen Hefel | Angela Brakey | 58kg | $14.00 |
| 8th | 6 | Our Pepmenartie | 2 | Hayley McCarthy | Bronte Kent | 55kg | $26.00 |
| Scr | 9 | Alpine Honey | 5 | John Luttrell | 54kg |
He maps to control a moderate 1200m from barrier 4, which is the right profile on Soft 6 at Launceston on a Friday. The 3yo Classic third and the Hobart soft win show he handles this grade, and 4 wins from 12 starts with five seconds underline his reliability.
Stardarmus brings the freshest same-class form in the race. Fourth here on Soft 5 in a Bench. 68, after a synthetic win, shows he is competitive, and Byrne Burke's record on him is a genuine edge. Soft form of 3 wins and 4 seconds from 19 starts fits the going.
Go Jeanie is a class dropper with the best stable stats in the field and a Launceston record of one win, three seconds and four thirds from 10. The gap since April and barrier 7 keep her third.
She should sit just behind the two leaders from barrier 3, which is where Launceston 1200m winners come from, and she has already won this course and distance on Soft 5. Each-way covers the class doubt.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 3 | Prince Of Khatun | 4 | Akimasa Phanthura | Adam Trinder | 57kg | $1.95 |
| 2nd | 9 | Billie The Great | 9 | Hayley McCarthy | Bradley Franklin | 55kg | $14.00 |
| 3rd | 6 | Sevillana | 3 | Troy Baker | Sarah Cotton | 57.5kg | $18.00 |
| 4th | 8 | Gee Gees Me Boy | 1 | Carleen Hefel | Stuart Gandy | 55.5kg | $10.00 |
| 5th | 4 | Go Jeanie | 7 | Kirra-Lee Lane | Glenn Stevenson | 58.5kg | $6.00 |
| 6th | 2 | Night People | 5 | Ruby Lamont | Sigrid Carr | 58kg | $8.50 |
| 7th | 5 | Stardarmus | 8 | Erica Byrne Burke | John Blacker | 58.5kg | $8.00 |
| 8th | 7 | Golden Meadow | 2 | Chloe Wells | Stuart Gandy | 57kg | $18.00 |
| Scr | 1 | Silver Dagger | 6 | Jessie Bazan | 62.5kg |
Last Tremble is the horse the race shape suits. She is the only genuine leader, draws barrier 2, and a slow 2000m on Soft 6 at Launceston rewards a horse that can dictate. Her soft record reads 11:1-3-1, and the Hobart 2100 second on soft is the strongest staying effort on offer.
Little El brings the best last-start finish in the race, leading the Launceston 1600 on good ground and going down by a neck with blinkers on. Barrier 3 lets her camp just off Last Tremble, which is the right place if the leader is pressured late. The worry is the ground: she is 3:0-0-0 on soft, and her only try near this distance was a distant eighth in the Tasmanian Oaks.
He has never started on soft, the map has him near the back in a slowly run race, and Launceston staying races heavily favour horses that settle forward. He can fill a place if the leaders tire.
The case is the map and the ground: barrier 1 and 55kg let her hold a midfield spot on the fence, and her only placing came on Soft 7 at Hobart in this grade when she kept finding.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 5 | Little El | 3 | Erica Byrne Burke | Leanne Gaffney | 57kg | $2.50 |
| 2nd | 1 | Bailed | 6 | Craig Newitt | Glenn Stevenson | 59kg | $2.70 |
| 3rd | 3 | Da Silver Flash | 7 | Luke P Dempsey | John Keys | 57kg | $21.00 |
| 4th | 6 | Irish Bloom | 1 | Chloe Wells | Amanda Jones | 55kg | $12.00 |
| 5th | 4 | Last Tremble | 2 | Carleen Hefel | John Blacker | 57kg | $4.60 |
| 6th | 2 | Opensea | 4 | Kelvin Sanderson | Michael Trinder | 59kg | $16.00 |
| 7th | 7 | White Star Suzie | 5 | Hayley McCarthy | Sigrid Carr | 55kg | $41.00 |
Eaglefurther is the mile horse, with four wins from eleven at the trip and a Launceston win already at the distance. Barrier 1 gives Kirra-Lee Lane the box seat behind the only likely leader in a slowly run Friday mile, which is the pattern this track rewards.
Two wins from eight at Launceston and a soft record of one win and a placing from four show she belongs on this surface. The mile is the hole in the case: she has never won at the distance and has been headed after leading at her last two starts.
Thisismyturf is the horse in form, a last-start winner at Launceston in the same grade and a genuine wet-tracker with three wins from ten on heavy. Bingley sticks and he has the class to be in the finish if the race changes shape. The setup works against him: he is mapped to settle back, the pace should be slow, and this track heavily favours horses already handy at the 400m. One win from twenty-seven on soft and no win from four at the mile keep him third. Use him underneath rather than on top.
He broke his maiden leading over 1650m three weeks ago and that run was good enough to measure up in this company, with 54.5kg and the claim a real advantage against the 58kg-plus horses. He has the early speed to sit just off Kireina Marubrah rather than get buried.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2 | Eaglefurther | 1 | Kirra-Lee Lane | Glenn Stevenson | 58.5kg | $2.60 |
| 2nd | 6 | Kireina Marubrah | 3 | Erica Byrne Burke | Adam Trinder | 58kg | $3.50 |
| 3rd | 5 | Thisismyturf | 4 | Lauryn Bingley | Terence Evans | 58.5kg | $3.80 |
| 4th | 4 | Nicalbi | 6 | Robyn Lynch | Bradley Franklin | 54.5kg | $31.00 |
| 5th | 3 | Al Maximus | 5 | Craig Newitt | John Blacker | 58.5kg | $5.00 |
| Scr | 1 | Wild Dancer | 2 | Glenn Stevenson | 61kg |
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.