Townsville betting preview, best bets & odds | Tuesday, 16/5/23
Townsville is set to host 12 races on Tuesday afternoon from 3:24PM local time. There's three cracking heats of the Q Gold series which will be run over 380m. The likes of Jackie Chiles, Magic Fever, Teddy Box and Flash Fever are set to fight out the finish with the top two finishers and two fastest thirds in each respective heat qualifying for next week's final.
Best Bet: Phoenix Luck (Race 1)
The first race on the program has fallen away dramatically with four scratchings and only six dogs to go around. All of these runners have had their fair share of opportunities to break through, some being more unlucky than others. Phoenix Luck looks best suited to the smaller field size with his racing style. He has failed to trouble the winners list in eleven starts to date however, has run some extremely eye-catching races for maiden standard. Due to his poor box manners, he often finds trouble and his run on Friday was another example of that when jumping in the market ($4.80), getting checked and ultimately being the “flashing light” runner of the race. Judging by his pattern to date, outside draws look to suit and he has drawn well with the main speed source directly outside him in Showtime Pompom. She has mixed her form since debuting last month and appears very short in current betting. Given Phoenix Luck can mind his own business towards the rear and make one searching, looping run without interference, he is the one to beat here.
Best Bet
Race 1 – 
Phoenix Luck (6)
Form: 338523 | Career: 11: 0-1-5 | Trainer: Hayley Wooler
Next Best: Flash Fever (Race 6)
Third and final heat of the Q Gold series presents one of the best bets on the program in the Bradley Belford trained Flash Fever. The two-year-old daughter of Buck Fever x Flash Magic has built an imposing record over the past twelve months with the leading trainer. Her record reads 49: 14-11-8 with almost $40,000 in the kitty making her the ultimate country short course money spinner. Her recent form reads no wins however, that is due to bumping into one of the hottest if not, the hottest dog Townsville has ever seen in Senor Yogi. Flash Fever has been at sufferance to Yogi five times over the past two months. Take away those races where she hasn't been disgraced, she's won three races over the same time period. She appears very well suited to the pink box despite her small sample size. Only having the four starts, she's managed two wins and one placings with one of those wins a sharp 21.84s over this track and trip in only her second race start. The map appears favourable with Teddy Box appearing, her main rival drawn inside. He can set this race up for her by jumping and giving her the perfect cart across. Samurai Mind from the inside draw appears tested as he hasn't had the speed to go with weaker fields over the 380m recently and could very easily be crossed by competitors out wide which will leave him two to three pairs back on the rails.
Next Best
Race 6 – 
Flash Fever (8)
Form: 423243 | Career: 48: 13-11-8 | Trainer: Bradley Belford
Best Value: Ritza Benny (Race 2)
Ritza Benny and punters will be looking for vengeance after failing to salute for the column last week. The two-year-old son out of Ritza Lenny x Magic Torana was a thirteen start maiden with only one placing to his name before returning from a one month absence with a most impressive win. In that time away from the track, it is key to note that there was a significant kennel change from leading trainer, Brad Belford to new trainer Jay Schafer. This appears to be the key difference as Ritza Benny produced a mammoth peak rating running 22.00s and scoring by two lengths defeating Denim. Since then, Ritza Benny started a drifting favourite in the maiden final last week and finished in fourth. After beginning well from box one, Ritza Benny wanted to run off the track heading into the first turn and was ultimately checked which caused him to lose all momentum at a crucial stage. Once he shifted to the part of the track he wanted, he was able to finish strongly proving that his win first up was no fluke. He returns to box eight tonight and this race appears well within his grasp. If he can begin as well as he has over the past fortnight, expect him to zoom across and be hard to run down.
Best Value
Race 2 – Ritza Benny (8)
Form: 446614 | Career: 15: 1-0-1 | Trainer: Jay Schafer
