Every Saturday, Ryan Phelan hunts for the most reliable locks to strengthen your multi bets. By analysing race maps, sectional times, and key trainer/driver combinations, he delivers sharp insights to add confidence – and a touch of excitement – to your harness racing, thoroughbred, or sports multis.
Each selection is rated with low, medium, or high confidence and includes a suggested place or win price. The goal? Minimise risk, maximise consistency, and stack the odds in your favour for a strong overall return.
Race 1 – 1720m Benstud Standardbreds Pace
1/5 Keayang Sweetheart – Jason Lee/Marg & Paddy Lee
Keayang Sweetheart, despite being winless in five starts, has been excellent all season, only having her colours lowered by meeting one better or being forced to do it tough in quick time. This grade of race appears much more suitable, and she can press forward and race in a favourable position. She deserves a victory for how gallantly she’s been racing.
Confidence: High Rated Win Price: $2.00
Race 2 – 2240m Betavet Winter Series NMW Pace Final
2/7 Soho Darknstormy – Kate Gath/Andy Gath
Soho Darknstormy gets back to a suitable grade here after racing up in class from awkward draws and running fast times. He’s a quick beginner, and although there’s some speed to his inside, patterns suggest they may be happy to sit on him. He was a strong winner in this grade back in March.
Confidence: Low Rated Win Price: $3.50
Race 3 – 2240m Dynamic Print Group Pace
3/5 Apollostorm – Ryan Sanderson/Emma Stewart
Some high-quality progressive types are engaged here, and Apollostorm is one of those who comes here second-up from a break following a good win where he was gifted the lead and dictated in a slick run home. There’s speed inside and outside him here, but he’s a tough, talented type who, with added fitness, should be hard to beat again.
Confidence: High Rated Win Price: $1.50
Race 4 – 1720m Need For Speed Noms Now Open Trot
4/8 Karbine – Jack Laugher/John Tormey
Trickiest race of the night with several go-forward runners drawn off the front, making the speed map difficult to determine. Karbine had excuses here last week, working too hard from the barrier position, and now draws softly off what should be a good tempo. He’s open to improvement and can finish hard if the breaks come his way.
Confidence: Low Rated Place Price: $2.80
Race 5 – 1720m Need For Speed FFA Pace
5/4 Hes From Heaven – Mark Pitt/Lisa Pitt
Hes From Heaven has been terrific without winning in three runs this preparation, often finding one better or running well from unfavourable set-ups. He has good gate speed and, now fitter, is entitled to lead and hold from this draw over the short trip. They are a talented and even bunch of fast-class horses, so map advantage is everything.
Confidence: Medium Rated Win Price: $3.30
Race 6 – 1720m Aldebaran Park Trot
6/8 Hoppy – Matthew Craven/Matthew Craven
Hoppy is a lightly raced trotter with plenty of speed and ability, as proven by his effort first-up when well up in class from a horror draw, running past G1 winners into third and smashing the clock. This draw works out well for him as he will settle in the running line and let down with his powerful finishing burst.
Confidence: High Rated Win Price: $1.80
Race 7 – 1720m Australian Pacing Gold 2yo Fillies Final
7/4 Ideal Frankie – Mark Pitt/Allan McDonough
Ideal Frankie has proven she’s head and shoulders above the competition here, winning by big spaces and running decent time in effortless fashion. Furthermore, her manners have proven exemplary, displaying lovely balance considering her limited experience. It’s hard to find value finding the next best placegetter on exposed form, so roll her into multis.
Confidence: High Rated Win Price: $1.04
Race 8 – 1720m Australian Pacing Gold 2yo Colts & Geldings Final
8/5 Clayton – Nathan Jack/Michael Stanley
We get a similar draw set-up to the Colts & Geldings heat, where it was a good battle between Cardigan Sniper, who won the race, and Clayton, who finished runner-up and was excellent in defeat. Clayton was steadied out from the wide draw last time, but I expect him to be driven harder off the arm here and look to cross at the start and turn the tables.
Confidence: High Rated Win Price: $2.80
Race 9 – 2240m Nutrien Equine Mares FFA Trot
9/5 Jilliby Dreamlover – Jason Lee/Marg & Paddy Lee
Jilliby Dreamlover has had a freshen-up after competing in four consecutive G1s, placing in three of them and establishing herself as one of the best up-and-coming trotters in the land. She’s aiming up at The Great Square in Queensland and will be hard to beat there with her terrific gate speed. She’s trialled well into this and is against her own sex here. She will be winning.
Confidence: High Rated Win Price: $1.10
For all your harness form in one place go to goodform.thetrots.com.au
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