Punt like a Pro, without the know!
New South Wales · Monday 2 November 2026
Our top pick won 4 of 6 races at Ballina. Every pick, our analysis and the full results are below.
top pick wonanother tip wonno tip won
The class runner of the field and the most reliable form line. She has placed in six of twelve and rarely runs a bad race on rain-affected ground. The inside gate should see her lob into a perfect stalking position behind the leader. The 62kg is the clear query, but the drop in grade offsets it and she remains the safest winning chance.
Led and was only grabbed in the closing stages at Grafton last start in the very race the top pick finished second, and she meets that mare considerably better at the weights this time. She has the natural speed to cross and lead from gate six and the moderate tempo forecast suits a horse that can dictate. The knock is a poor 1000m record with no wins from ten attempts and a habit of being collared late, so a placing looks the safer play.
An improving three-year-old who broke through at his second start on soft ground at Grafton, settling just off the speed before finishing off strongly. He drops out of stronger juvenile company, draws nicely in gate five and has the powerful Dunn-Mallyon combination behind him, both with excellent strike rates here. Two starts and a six-week gap are the concerns, along with carrying 58kg against hardened older sprinters, but he has more upside than the rest of these.
Bold second last start at Lismore in this grade and on this sort of surface, racing on the speed throughout and only going under late. He is drawn to get an economical run just off the pace from gate four and has won on heavy ground previously, so the conditions hold no fears.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1 | Amaya's Secret | 1 | Siabh Rigley | Stephen and Jordan Lee | 58kg | $2.45 |
| 2nd | 2 | Kirra's Sister | 6 | William Galloway | Stephen and Jordan Lee | 57.5kg | $3.40 |
| 3rd | 3 | Brief Authority | 5 | Andrew Mallyon | Matthew Dunn | 58kg | $3.20 |
| 4th | 8 | Vega Nova | 3 | Courtney Bellamy | Neil Creighton | 55kg | $61.00 |
| 5th | 7 | Tryanza | 7 | Zac Wadick | David Campbell | 57kg | $7.50 |
| Scr | 4 | Land Speed | 4 | Stephen and Jordan Lee | 58kg | ||
| Scr | 5 | Trinity State | 8 | Matthew Dunn | 58kg | ||
| Scr | 6 | Onigiri | 2 | Dennis Dwane | 57kg |
Likely to take up the running with little pressure, which is a real asset in a slowly run staying race on a tight circuit. He drops sharply in grade and handles soft ground, but he tired late over 2200m last start and this longer trip is a genuine query.
The most reliable stayer in the race, having placed in stronger company over this sort of trip at Doomben and Eagle Farm. He drops in grade, handles soft ground, and has the tactical speed to sit handy in a race with little pace - an ideal profile on a tight track with a short straight. The one to beat.
Two solid fourths suggest he is holding form, and from a good draw he can be prominent throughout.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 3 | California Grass | 1 | Danny Peisley | Christos Zintilis | 60kg | $2.15 |
| 2nd | 7 | Think I'm Irish | 4 | Ashley Butler | Ben Robinson | 55kg | $5.00 |
| 3rd | 5 | Nature Boy | 2 | Chris Taylor | Lea Selby | 57kg | $6.00 |
| 4th | 6 | Flaming Genesis | 8 | Noriyuki Masuda | Daiki Chujo | 56kg | $4.80 |
| 5th | 1 | Zweig | 3 | Dylan Turner | Vishan Venkaya | 66kg | $9.50 |
| 6th | 8 | Termite | 7 | Sariah Champkin | Grant Forge | 53.5kg | $21.00 |
| Scr | 2 | Ayasaki | 5 | Ethan Ensby | 61kg | ||
| Scr | 4 | Crunch Time | 6 | Christos Zintilis | 59kg |
He won here over this trip in the heavy three starts back and was honest in stronger grade at Lismore when caught wide throughout. Maps to settle second in a slowly-run race and his form on rain-affected going is solid, with the track drying to Soft 7 in his favour.
A soft-track specialist with three wins from six on rain-affected going and a strong stable and jockey record at Ballina. She won to a good standard at Lismore two runs back before a plain effort in stronger company last time. Gets in light at 55kg and should settle midfield. The query is stretching to 1300m for the first time, but her wet-track class makes her a leading contender.
A consistent five-year-old who has placed in more than half his starts and handles wet ground, with two wins on heavy and four placings on soft. Was a fair fourth first-up and should strip fitter here. Maps to settle handy, which helps in a slowly-run race, and his trainer is going well.
A strong finisher who was beaten a nose here over this trip last start, coming from off the pace. Closers have had the edge at Ballina and barrier one lets him save ground before unleashing late.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2 | Do It For You | 4 | Siabh Rigley | Stephen and Jordan Lee | 54.5kg | $2.25 |
| 2nd | 3 | Pareto | 7 | Danny Peisley | David McColm | 58.5kg | $3.50 |
| 3rd | 5 | Silent Call | 2 | Ashley Butler | Matthew Dunn | 55kg | $20.00 |
| 4th | 1 | Tonneofgrit | 3 | William Galloway | Kristie Clark-Peoples | 60.5kg | $7.00 |
| 5th | 6 | Barello | 1 | Zac Wadick | Stephen and Jordan Lee | 55kg | $13.00 |
| 6th | 4 | Swifties | 6 | Andrew Mallyon | Matthew Dunn | 56kg | $4.80 |
| Scr | 7 | Dark Chill | 5 | Ethan Ensby | 56kg |
Her best run was a close second in a maiden and she should settle on or near the speed from a middle gate. Winless in eight starts and first-up after a long break is a worry, but the opposition is largely inexperienced.
He won his Lismore trial on Soft, so the wet is no concern, and the stable's confidence is obvious.
Improved from a modest first trial to win comfortably on Soft at Lismore, and the wet suits. The wide barrier and jockey's poor Ballina record limit her upside, and she is a debutant, but she looks the main danger to the top two.
Bar Star is the best-credentialed runner on form. He was second on debut on a soft track despite a rough passage and an awkward first start. The run was close to a winning standard. He draws well and should be midfield with cover in a moderately run sprint.
I rank him second rather than first because he is first up after almost a year and his only race start was a modest sixth.
A genuine front-runner in a race with no other proven leader, drawn well in barrier 2. If left alone in front in a moderate tempo he can sneak the field.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 11 | Mariner Miss | 6 | Kyle Wilson-Taylor | Billy Healey | 55kg | $2.25 |
| 2nd | 9 | Spirit Of Asia | 9 | Noriyuki Masuda | Daiki Chujo | 55.5kg | $5.00 |
| 3rd | 7 | Time Has Come | 2 | Danny Peisley | Fleur Henley | 56.5kg | $14.00 |
| 4th | 3 | Prestige Sotirio | 11 | Luke Rolls | Stephen and Jordan Lee | 57.5kg | $2.40 |
| 5th | 8 | Sienna Of Brighton | 1 | Courtney Bellamy | Scott Henley | 55.5kg | $15.00 |
| Scr | 1 | Bar Star | 4 | Adam Campton | 58kg | ||
| Scr | 2 | Prestige Reign | 3 | Stephen and Jordan Lee | 57.5kg | ||
| Scr | 4 | Prestige Special | 5 | Stephen and Jordan Lee | 57.5kg | ||
| Scr | 5 | Prestige Blue | 7 | Stephen and Jordan Lee | 57kg | ||
| Scr | 6 | Naystar | 10 | Matthew Dunn | 56.5kg | ||
| Scr | 10 | Field Of Clans | 8 | Matthew Dunn | 55kg |
His last-start effort at Lismore over this trip on a Soft 7 is the strongest recent run in this field - he came from well back and finished to be beaten only a length, running to a winning standard. A lightly raced three-year-old still on the improve, he gets weight off the older horses and a good gate. The query is his get-back style needing the race to be run to suit, but his upside makes him the one to beat.
Consistently thereabouts in stronger maidens, finishing close-up fourths at Warwick and over 1400 at the Sunshine Coast, and he lands the inside gate here.
An honest, consistent mare with a solid wet-track record, twice placed on soft ground, and she was close up in a Super Maiden at Port Macquarie last start. She steps to 1400 for the first time, which is a genuine query given her form is all at 1000-1200, but she settles handy and tries hard.
Produced the strongest form line in the race when third on a soft track at Lismore, finishing off hard from back in the field. That effort reads as winning-standard for this grade and he meets several of these rivals again. It's an even, moderate-tempo race, which should let him settle and launch late. The obvious knock is a long run of placings without a win, but on form he's the one to beat.
He's lightly raced and improving, and the draw lets him sit handy in a race without an obvious on-pace bias. His only query is handling genuinely soft ground, having not yet placed on it, but the trajectory is upward and he should be in the finish.
Consistent without winning, he has two placings at this track and a close second over 1300 here two runs back.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 5 | The Minstrel Boy | 14 | Andrew Mallyon | Stephen and Jordan Lee | 59kg | $2.40 |
| 2nd | 9 | To'o | 5 | Danny Peisley | David McColm | 57.5kg | $3.70 |
| 3rd | 12 | Qui Rouge | 11 | Luke Rolls | Samantha McGuren | 57kg | $6.00 |
| 4th | 11 | Deep Affection | 15 | Violet Soulsby | Ethan Ensby | 55kg | $51.00 |
| 5th | 4 | Testy Nic | 1 | Kyle Wilson-Taylor | Kristie Clark-Peoples | 59kg | $3.70 |
| 6th | 3 | Checks'n'balances | 13 | Karl Zechner | Fleur Henley | 59kg | $20.00 |
| 7th | 1 | Arabian Legacy | 2 | Courtney Bellamy | Stephen Bennett | 59kg | $81.00 |
| Scr | 2 | Cautionary Tail | 10 | Marcus Wilson | 59kg | ||
| Scr | 6 | Worthy Stunnah | 3 | Michael Morrison | 59kg | ||
| Scr | 7 | Zouman | 12 | Sonya Dixon | 59kg | ||
| Scr | 8 | Mr Paragon | 6 | Peter Robl | 57.5kg | ||
| Scr | 10 | Cool Thoughts | 8 | Sonya Dixon | 57kg | ||
| Scr | 13 | Tendue's Spirit | 9 | Stephen and Jordan Lee | 57kg | ||
| Scr | 14 | Violaceous | 4 | Ruby Chatterton | 57kg | ||
| Scr | 15 | Mr Betterman | 7 | David and Marcus Scanes | 59kg |
She has been racing consistently, her last-start third at Ipswich behind a smart type reads well for this grade, and she has won on soft and heavy ground. From barrier nine she should still be able to control a slowly run race, and the Mallyon-Dunn combination is a strong pointer. Top weight is the main query, but her class and map make her the clear top pick.
Toroness won stylishly last start at Lismore on a Soft 7 and gets a valuable 3kg claim today. She has a solid soft-track record and enough class to be competitive in this grade. The concern is her second-up record and a wide draw, which may leave her with too much to do in a slow-tempo race. She is still a leading chance on form.
Calvary comes off a strong last-start win at Kilcoy and has been building nicely this preparation. He has a soft-track win to his name and maps to settle in a handy position, which suits a slowly run race.
Clubhouse is the value play. He is a course-and-distance winner with a strong wet-track profile, and his last-start fourth at Lismore was better than it looks after racing wide without cover. The jockey has a good record at Ballina.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 7 | Calvary | 7 | Adin Thompson | Maryann Brosnan | 57.5kg | $6.50 |
| 2nd | 11 | Vetoed | 11 | Zac Wadick | Dennis Dwane | 56kg | $6.00 |
| 3rd | 3 | Bellarata | 9 | Andrew Mallyon | Matthew Dunn | 60kg | $2.50 |
| 4th | 2 | Maurraqa | 4 | Ashley Butler | Matthew Dunn | 60.5kg | $3.10 |
| 5th | 1 | Toroness | 10 | William Galloway | Billy Healey | 58.5kg | $7.00 |
| Scr | 4 | Clubhouse | 3 | Marcus Wilson | 59kg | ||
| Scr | 5 | Excessor | 12 | Kris Lees | 59kg | ||
| Scr | 6 | Inquisitor | 2 | Danny Peisley | Ray Dart | 58kg | |
| Scr | 8 | Gold Puma | 5 | Ethan Ensby | 57.5kg | ||
| Scr | 9 | Glam | 6 | Adam Campton | 57kg | ||
| Scr | 10 | Stoinka | 1 | Dennis Dwane | 57kg | ||
| Scr | 12 | Rephrase | 8 | Jennifer Smith | 55kg |
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.