Harness Racing Tips: Gloucester Park - Friday January 25th

Our harness racing tips continue this Friday as we head to Gloucester Park in Western Australia for an exciting race meet. We take a look at some of our best bets for the meet below! 

Gloucester Park Harness Racing Tips

Race 2

Rabchenko has the gate speed to lead but could surrender to Liberty Rose which means the moving line will be Lord Willoughby, Jimmy Mack and Michael Joseph. I am expecting Michael Joseph to face the breeze which could mean that Jimmy Mack is 1 out 1 back behind him.

All the better horses in the race have drawn well and I expect the winner to come from one of the horses mentioned above. Jimmy Mack resumes from a spell and his form last preparation looks excellent for this race. Chris Lewis sticks with Lord Willoughby but I am happy having Chris Voak steering Jimmy Mack. He defeated Our Zak Whitby and Handsandwheels at Bunbury five starts ago; that form line reads well here and Jimmy Mack has the best closing sectionals in the race (based on last seven runs for each horse).

Race 5

The Group 2 Nights Of Thunder Final (1730m) is basically a re-run of the third qualifying heat which saw Bettor Aim win by 9.8m in 1:52.4. Five of his rivals were also in that heat, while three come out of the first heat. Golden State won the second qualifying heat but fails to make the field and has also missed out on being an emergency.

As Happy As Larry led and was run down to finish third in his heat. He will lead again with Bettor Aim likely to burn out searching for the spot outside of the leader. There is no doubt that Bettor Aim is the class horse in the field and despite barrier nine over the 1730m, I still think he will prove very hard to hold out. What impressed me about Bettor Aim’s victory was the 55.4 first half which is flying around Gloucester Park. He still ran home in 29.3 despite three consecutive sub-28 quarters.

Race 7

Luis Alberto will be trying his best to lead from barrier one but could be crossed by Illusionation at the start. If he can hold up, then stablemate Mister Bushido will be on his back. I’m not sure where James Butt will get to from barrier nine but his two runs in WA have been good.

It will take a brave punter to dive into the $1.65 about Mister Bushido. He was completely unwanted in betting last week and was retired from the race with a gear malfunction. His New Zealand form looks pretty good, but I am happy to side with James Butt who also had good New Zealand form. He was narrowly beaten at his WA debut when making up a lot of ground in the final circuit. He then went on with it at Pinjarra by leading throughout to defeat Mister Spot and Hasani. The $4.80 looks a good price considering harness racing’s version of Tom Melbourne is at $4.50.

James Butt

$4.80

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Race 8

Tarsao and Baylan Jett will both have ambitions of leading in this moderate affair where the leader will become the horse to beat. It is a wide-open race that could throw up a number of different winners.

Baylan Jett won back-to-back races in November before a string of ninth and 10th placed finishes. He has a much kinder barrier draw this week and Gary Hall Jnr jumps back in the sulky. This is a huge positive because the five-year-old entire was able to win the last time Jnr drove him. He settled 1 out 2 back and finished powerfully to score. My confidence will dramatically increase if he finds the lead, otherwise he is still a strong each-way chance if he can obtain cover close to the speed. Clarenden Hustler, Kid Colossus and Im Batman should also be major players in the race.

Baylan Jett

$6.50

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Photo: Jodie Hallows