Pakenham best bets & quaddie tips | Thursday, February 16
| What | Pakenham Races |
| Where | Pakenham Racing Club – 420 Nar Nar Goon–Longwarry Rd, Tynong VIC 3813 |
| When | Thursday, February 16, 2023 |
| First Race | 5:45pm AEDT |
Pakenham Racecourse is set to host its weekly eight-race program on Thursday night, and it looks to be quite a competitive night of racing in Melbourne’s southeast. With a near-perfect week of weather for the region, we expect perfect conditions to greet punters once again with the track coming up a Good 4. Pakenham is one of the more consistently fair racecourses in the state, so despite the rail being out 7m for the entire circuit, there should be no distinct bias throughout the card. The action is set to commence at 5:45pm AEDT.
Best Bet at Pakenham: Warm Smile
Coming off a more than respectable first-up run in Australia, the Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained Warm Smile looks a clear best bet of the night at Pakenham. Her start over 1400m on January 25 was her first start since June 2022 and with natural improvement and the extra 200m this time round, she is sure to take some beating. The leader and eventual winner simply got away with murder out in front, and despite Warm Smile running on nicely, she was simply no match for the winner. The former UK-based runner looks to have plenty of upside and from barrier five, Ben Allen should have this girl in the stalking role throughout. When asked for an effort in the home straight, we expect Warm Smile to race clear and show she is a mare worth following this campaign.
Best Bet
Race 3 – 
#2 Warm Smile (5)
5yo Mare | T: Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | J: Ben Allen (61.5kg)
Next Best at Pakenham: Gringotts
One of our better bets of the night comes up in the second leg of the quaddie, where Gringotts will be looking to go one better than his two runner-up efforts to begin his career. The three-year-old son of Per Incanto ran into the smart Bel Air last time out at this track and trip when gunned down inside the final 100m. He was given a gun ride that night and despite comfortably accounting for the remainder of his rivals, he just ran into one better. This event looks no harder than that night, and despite drawing wide in barrier 13, we expect John Allen to roll forward and have this bloke settled up on speed throughout. With race fitness on his side and reasonable form behind him, Gringotts is going to take some beating.
Next Best
Race 6 – 
#3 Gringotts (13)
3yo Gelding | T: Ciaron Maher & David Eustace| J: John Allen (59kg)
Next Best Again at Pakenham: Pink Cashmere
We will be looking to strike some value in the opening leg of the quaddie when the Ciaron Maher & David Eustace barn send Pink Cashmere around the Pakenham 1200m. The three-year-old filly steps back from a Flemington BM64 on January 20 where she seemingly did not handle the Flemington 1100m straight and looks more appealing stepping back to a country-level event and back around a bend. The three-year-old I Am Invincible filly looks to have a fair bit under the bonnet based on the debut win at Ballarat on October, and if she can land outside the leader upon jumping, she looks a great play here. With just 56.5kg on her back, she appears well weighted compared to her rivals, and as long as she does not get trapped wide from barrier nine, she looks a great each-way play.
Next Best Again
Race 5 – 
#11 Pink Cashmere (9)
3yo Filly | T: Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | J: John Allen (56.5kg)
Thursday quaddie tips for Pakenham
Pakenham quadrella selections
Thursday, February 16, 2023
- 2-3-11-12
- 3-7
- 2-5-9-11
- 3-4-13
Investment: $96 for 100%