Townsville tips and results

Our price $6.50 · SP $7.00 · Ashley Butler

Nobel Peace was an eye-catching fourth on debut here over 1400m on soft, charging from last after being held up on the turn. He now steps to the mile second-up for a stable and jockey partnership that wins regularly together. The concern is his get-back style in a race that shapes as slowly run, but he has plenty of improvement in him.

Our price $18.00 · SP $61.00 · Peta Edwards

Royal Edition is the value runner. A slow tempo and a track that rewards on-pace horses gives him a chance to dictate.

Our price $3.40 · SP $4.00 · Ashley Butler

The drop into a maiden suits, and the on-pace edge at Townsville is a real help on the wet track.

Our price $5.00 · SP $5.50 · Lacey Morrison

Foxy Cheval has run to a good standard over 1200m, including a Townsville third, and the good barrier helps. She is a solid and consistent type, but she has never won and her Soft ground form is thin. The jockey-trainer combination is a positive.

Our price $4.80 · SP $15.00 · Masayuki Abe

On form she is the most reliable and best-credentialed runner in a weak maiden. She should settle just behind the leader from a good draw, which suits the track's forward lean.

Our price $5.50 · SP $6.00 · Ashley Butler

A genuine maiden who has been close on Soft tracks and would be a bigger chance without a heavy weight and an outside barrier. He can use his early speed to find a handy spot and he is capable of running into a place. The stable's poor Townsville record and the weight keep him just behind the better-drawn rivals.

Our price $4.20 · SP $9.00 · Isabella Teh

Bairuku won its Townsville trial on Soft 5 in a strong time and gets the same rider back. Maiden fields are volatile, so the stake is measured.

Our price $6.50 · SP $8.00 · Ashley Butler

So Sunny improved a lot to finish a close second to Bairuku on Soft 5, and now gets a good gate and a jockey who wins at Townsville.

Our price $7.50 · SP $8.50 · Ryan Wiggins

It needs to handle the wet, which is an unknown, so the stake is small.

Our price $5.50 · SP $5.00 · Anthony Allen

A consistent wet-track performer who should enjoy the light weight and soft ground. It is not an ideal fit for a slow tempo as it will likely settle off the speed, and it has no local form, but it can pick up its game second-up.

Our price $7.00 · SP $10.00 · Masayuki Abe

The concern is the run shape, as it will be back in a slowly-run race on a track that favours forward runners. Each-way cover is sensible.

Our price $3.20 · SP $2.90 · Anthony Allen

The one to beat. He led all the way over this trip here on soft ground three weeks ago and then ran a brave fourth last start after missing the start and being held up at a crucial stage. He gets in on the minimum weight, maps to go forward from gate eight and his recent form at this level is the strongest in the field.

Our price $4.20 · SP $6.00 · Julie Busuttin

A Townsville specialist with a superb overall and first-up record. He has won three of five fresh, trialled sweetly on soft ground here a fortnight ago, and a 3kg claim brings him back to a winnable weight. Suited by the on-pace profile but needs to settle in the first couple.

Our price $7.50 · SP $10.00 · Chris McIver

Overpriced on his wet-track record and his draw. He has three wins and three seconds from nine on soft ground, won over this trip at Townsville three weeks ago from midfield, and lands in barrier one which is where this track wants you.

Our price $3.60 · SP $3.70 · Mitch Goring

The race maps perfectly for him: he is the only genuine leader and the tempo looks slow, which is exactly the set-up on-pace horses want at Townsville over the mile on soft ground. He has led and been beaten under a length at his last three tries over this trip, including a win here in August and a placing on a soft mile. The knock is his modest winning strike rate, but with an uncontested lead he is the one they have to run down.

Our price $6.00 · SP $6.50 · Ryan Wiggins

A quality mare for this grade with a smart record here over the 1200m, and she was close up last start over this trip after working into it. She drops in class and has a jockey who knows her well. The big issue is the wide draw, which history shows is hard to overcome at Townsville, so she may need to settle further back than ideal and rely on luck in running.

Our price $14.00 · SP $21.00 · Anthony Allen

Everything about the map says she gets an easy lead from gate five in a race lacking natural speed, and front-runners have a clear edge here. She won two starts back over this trip and is proven on rain-affected ground.

Our price $5.50 · SP $12.00 · Anthony Allen

A handy runner that should lead in a moderate-tempo race, which the track favours. Its recent soft-track runs at Townsville have been solid, and it sits in a good weight position. It looks capable of controlling the race and hanging on.

Our price $9.00 · SP $21.00 · Tasha Chambers

Its recent efforts in good company at Cairns suggest it is better than a Class 5 here. It should be handy on the pace, has handled wet tracks and drops in grade.

Our price $9.50 · SP $26.00 · Nathan Thomas

It is improving and has won twice on heavy ground, though its soft-track record is poor. Top weight and a cold jockey are concerns, but a handy position at the inside rail makes this horse worth a small saver.