Gosford racing tips & top value bets | Thursday, December 23
| What | Gosford Races |
| Where | The Entertainment Grounds – 4 Racecourse Road, West Gosford NSW 2250 |
| When | Thursday, December 23, 2021 |
| First Race | 1:15pm AEDT |
| Watch Live | |
HorseBetting’s New South Wales racing analyst brings you his best bets and suggested quaddie numbers for the seven-race card at Gosford on Thursday afternoon. The track is rated a Good 4, the rail is out just the 3m for the entire course. The first race is set to jump at 1:15pm AEDT.
Gosford Best Bet – Overlord
We know Chris Waller’s runner Overlord doesn’t know how to win, but after being off the scene for exactly 12 months to the day, we are confident he can break through. The four-year-old son of Sebring has had seven starts for four minor placings, with some of his runs coming behind the likes of Peltzer, Rothfire and Mo’unga in some top-class races. Waller has opted to change his gear up a fair bit on Thursday, with blinkers coming off for the first time, as well as the addition of a crossover nose band and a tongue tie for the first time, so we hope that will sort out his racing manners. Overlord is highly talented, as he showed when running fourth at Group 1 level in just his fourth career start, so we are looking forward to seeing where he can get to this campaign. Kathy O’Hara does the riding from barrier 12, so she is likely to take the gelding back, look for cover and allow him to run on at the business end. The 1200m looks a good starting point.
Next Best at Gosford – Secretively
The penultimate race shapes to be one of the more competitive contests across the entire card; however, given that the current race favourite, Twitch, is set to go around on Wednesday at Warwick Farm, the field could fall away a bit. Provided Twitch does start on Wednesday, it would mean that Anthony Cummings’ Secretively should be very hard to beat yet again. The five-year-old son of Dawn Approach led all of the way at Kembla Grange on December 11 to record a dominant 4.5-length win on a Heavy 10 over 1000m. Although both of this gelding’s wins have been on rain-affected surfaces, he has run well enough on top of the ground to expect another forward showing. He is drawn in gate five with 60.5kg in the saddle, and we would like to think Jeff Penza will replicate his last-start victory and attempt to lead all of the way again. The tight track at Gosford should suit too.
Gosford Value Bet – Tick Tock Boom
Annabel Neasham and Tommy Berry combine in the second race with new stable acquisition Tick Tock Boom. The former Queenslander has had 13 starts for just the one win, but he has been in the placings on six occasions including a second to his new stablemate Wisdom Of Water in the Group 3 Ken Russell Memorial Classic back in May 2020. The son of Spirit Of Boom has been racing well without winning this campaign in South-East Queensland, coming off a narrow defeat two starts ago and then a solid fourth at Doomben behind Linthorpe Lad over 1350m on November 17. The gelded four-year-old should take a liking to Gosford’s tight corners, as he will be able to build momentum and then slingshot off the turn. Berry has been riding very consistently of late, so we know this horse is going to get every chance from barrier four. The 60kg is a task, as he will be left with the top weight after Yardstick gets the benefit of Tyler Schiller’s 1.5kg claim, although the weights are fairly well compressed. This looks a good chance for Tick Tock Boom to get back into the winner’s stall.
Thursday quaddie tips for Gosford
| Gosford quadrella selections | |
|---|---|
| Leg 1: | 2-8-9-10 |
| Leg 2: | 1-2-7 |
| Leg 3: | 2-3-6 |
| Leg 4: | 2-3-5 |
| Investment: | $108 for 100% |