We have studied the form from all races across the country for Sunday, December 26, and provided our best horse racing tips.
There’s plenty to love about Boxing Day. Cold drinks by the pool, leftovers from Christmas lunch, a little bit of backyard cricket, now all we need is to back a few winners!
We have made five selections in total and are confident that we have found you some winners! So, read on below to find our best horse racing tips for this Sunday, December 26.
Randwick, Race 1 – 3. Hard to Say ($4.50)
Plenty of nice two year olds about at this time of year, but with the feature Magic Millions B.J. McLachlan being run at Doomben, this looks one of the leaner juvenile fields we’ve seen of late. Smart move by the Deamer stable to come back south with this Exceed and Excel colt after running into the handy Palazzo Spirit last start in the Phelan Ready.
He keeps getting better with each start and his experience, match fitness, and the step back out to the 1100m on a reasonable surface are all big pluses. He covered ground off a let up and boxed solidly on a heavy surface that day, then really picked up late when chasing the leader home in his latest start. Can get punters off to a flyer.
Randwick, Race 3 – 4. Kirwan’s Lane ($3.10)
A tricky affair to line up this one with plenty resuming, a couple bringing Melbourne form, and a few with hard luck stories of late. But there is none more so than this John O’Shea 5yo gelding.
Pizarro got himself his deserved maiden victory yesterday at Warwick Farm for @ChampionTbreds and @mcacajamez. He will head off for a break and has a good future ahead of him. @ashbrennanphoto pic.twitter.com/4gUsKTaie1
— John O’Shea Racing (@JohnOSheaRacing) December 22, 2021
He was absolutely flattened when resuming in the Goulburn Cup and then found a dead end when building into the race second up. We expect fitness and class to play big factors in the result here and at the mile and Bm88 grade, he looks to have this lot covered.
Randwick, Race 7 – 7. Criaderas ($4.60)
We’ve been sweating on this son of Lonhro getting to this race for sometime now. It is hard to say what has been more frustrating. His racing pattern, or the way the stable have placed the horse. But we finally get to what has long appeared to be the trip he is crying out for, the 2000m on the roomy expanses of Royal Randwick.
We tipped him as the ‘Best Roughie of the Day’ in the Villiers Stakes a fortnight ago and as expected he was the flashing light run in the race, motoring home late for third in the Group 2 at big odds.
It might be a Group 3 race this week, during the festive season when Sydney racing doesn’t attract the strongest fields, but don’t be surprised if this horse bobs up in some of the better middle distance and staying races going forward.
He relaxes in his races to a fault, has a beautiful long and low action and is by an Australian Cup winner out of a Dehere mare which tells us this should be his prime racing range. Both the sire and broodmare sire throw types that are adaptable on all going, and with a chance of a bit of cut out of the track, we think today is finally this blokes day.
Doomben, Race 6 – 1. Palazzo Spirit ($14/$2.30)
The $1.35 favourite Coolangatta absolutely smoked them on debut in the Gimcrack and was hard held when winning a recent trial with the rest of the field under vigorous riding behind him. It’s very hard to see him getting beaten here but 2yo racing is one of the more prevalent and greatest uncertainties in racing, and if the filly has an off day, then we think this colt out of the O’Dea and Hoysted yard is the one to pounce.
Star Queensland colt Palazzo Spirit will face his moment of truth when he lines up against boom Sydney filly Coolangatta in Sunday’s Group 3 B.J. McLachlan Stakes at Doomben. More >> https://t.co/nU7vytfMpz #QLDisRacing 🏇 pic.twitter.com/YzU2L7iySg
— RaceQ (@RaceQLD) December 22, 2021
This stable has had good success with their youngsters in recent years without cracking a big one, and based on what this son of Spirit of Boom has shown them to date, we have no doubt they are thinking he might be the one.
He has a wonderfully deep pedigree but shows considerable more precociousness than the lot of his black type siblings combined. He has given nothing else a look in at his two starts to date. Drawn well again here and worth playing at the odds each way and save on the Quinella.
Caulfield, Race 7 – 9. Bonvicini ($3.20)
We are looking to the Maher and Eustace galloper to send us out a winner here late on the Boxing Day card. She looked to be travelling sweetly in the run having spent no petrol to the corner when box seating third the fence behind a muddling tempo.
She was just flattened at a vital stage in the straight when attempting a rails run before picking up again late. Jye McNeil sticks with this 5yo mare who was a good thing beaten last start at good odds. We won’t get them Saturday but this is similar company and she looks the one to beat here.
Best Bet – 7. Criaderas (Randwick, Race 7)
Next Best – 4. Kirwan’s Lane (Randwick, Race 3)
Best Roughie – 1. Palazzo Spirit (Doomben, Race 6)
*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of Sportsbet.
