Hawkesbury Best Bets
26 MAR 2026| Race | Dist | Top Pick | Rating | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | 1600m | 5. EMERALD HILLS (NZ) | 64 | MED |
| R2 | 1600m | 4. CRUSADER VOYAGE | 67 | HIGH |
| R3 | 1100m | 9. DEFIANCE | 49 | LOW |
| R4 | 1100m | 2. BALMORAL CASTLE | 52 | LOW |
| R5 | 1300m | 14. READY MADE HEIR | 49 | LOW |
| R6 | 1600m | 5. SHUTTER | 67 | HIGH |
| R7 | 2000m | 5. MONTY BE QUICK (IRE) | 70 | HIGH |
| R8 | 1300m | 8. MY PROCLAMA (NZ) | 72 | HIGH |
| R9 | 1100m | 2. JUST AWESOME | 68 | HIGH |
This Hawkesbury card has a very ‘improvement wins’ feel to it, with a stack of lightly raced types stepping from maidens into thin provincial grades and a few seasoned runners dropping sharply in prizemoney. The Soft 5 with the rail +2m from the 800m to the 400m, then true, should keep it fair enough, but it’s still a day where race shape and landing spots matter more than raw ratings.
Race 1 Tips — INDEPENDENT LIQUOR GROUP RACEDAY CLASS 1 & MAIDEN PLATE (1600m)
5 EMERALD HILLS (NZ)
Tactical races like this come down to nerve and timing, and 5. EMERALD HILLS (NZ) looks the one who can hold a spot, breathe, then pounce when the pressure goes on. Gate matters here. Barrier three gives Christian Reith the option to have her closer than last time without doing anything silly early, and in a small field with most settling in the first half, that’s a big edge for a mare who’s already proven she can quicken off a soft run. Her Newcastle maiden win over this trip on Soft 5 was the right kind of win for today’s set-up: she was third at the 800m, travelled, and when Reith asked she gave a sharp last 600m in 34.65 to put them away by just over half a length. It wasn’t a smash-and-grab. It was controlled. You can forgive the Taree third two runs back where she was flat-footed early, ninth at the 800m, and still found the line late; that run reads like a horse crying out for a mile. Slight rise on paper, similar money, and she’s two-from-two on wet ground. Hard to beat.
Dangers & Value
1. MIDORI GIANT is the class dropper on prizemoney and that’s not up for debate, but barrier eight in a seven-horse field is awkward when you’re not a natural burner; he’ll need to work early or risk being posted without cover. 8. WORMINGTON draws low and if the tempo is genuinely run he’s the type to be hitting the line, but he’s giving away tactical position again. 4. WITHOUT PEER is the one who can land midfield with cover from the wider draw, yet his recent profile doesn’t scream “mile winner” the way Emerald Hills’ Newcastle run does.
Race 2 Tips — GREAT NORTHERN CUP SUPER MAIDEN PLATE (1600m)
4 CRUSADER VOYAGE
When they walk, it becomes about who kicks first — not who runs fastest — and that’s exactly the scenario where 4. CRUSADER VOYAGE makes sense each-way. He doesn’t need to be ridden upside down to hold a spot. He just needs Tommy Berry to keep him out of traffic and have him balanced before the sprint goes on. The key with him is class context: he’s been running around in far richer races than this, including a Randwick Group 1 over 2000m where he was outgunned, and there’s no shame in being beaten 9 lengths at that level. Forget it. His Warwick Farm second over 1600m in a $100k Super Maiden is the run you want to hang your hat on; he sat third at the 800m and only got nailed late, beaten a lip. Then at Kembla Grange over 1300m in another strong maiden, he was forced to chase a better horse in Duck For Cover and still stuck on for third. This is a softer assignment, and the draw gives Berry options. Needs a win, but the set-up looks kind.
Dangers & Value
2. THE BIG BLUE (NZ) keeps finding one better and he’s already proven at Hawkesbury over longer trips, but gate nine means he may be conceding first run again in a race that could turn tactical. 5. FEAZABEEL is the blow-in if they overdo it up front; he’ll be spotting them a start, yet the mile gives him time to wind up. 11. MOORDYUP maps similarly as a backmarker and would need the leaders to compress and come back. Crusader Voyage has fewer excuses from barrier four.
Race 3 Tips — ABSOLUT & SPRITE RTDS CG&E MAIDEN HANDICAP (1100m)
9 DEFIANCE
Sprint races punish bad starts and reward good gates, and 9. DEFIANCE has finally landed the draw to let his natural speed actually count. This is the setup. Barrier four means Tommy Berry can use him early without burning him to the ground, and with Poisonous and Unleash Harry also wanting the first half of the race, the tempo should be honest enough that the on-pacers don’t get to steal it. The ugly run is Canterbury in the $100k Super Maiden where he led and got beaten out of sight. I’m prepared to forgive it because he was taking on a much stronger race than this and the break between runs suggests it wasn’t the day they wanted. His Warwick Farm debut on Heavy 10 is the more relevant guide for a Soft 5: he rolled to the top, stuck on for third, and at least showed he can handle ground under his feet. His Hawkesbury fifth over 1000m in a $60k event had him back at the 800m and asked to quicken off a brutal 1000m profile; 1100m suits better. He’s not a star. But he can win this.
Dangers & Value
3. POISONOUS draws the paint and that alone can make him dangerous in a maiden sprint, but his only start at Kensington was a plain one after leading, and he has to prove he’s come back better. 6. UNLEASH HARRY gets the soft run from barrier two and can press forward to control if the others hesitate. 8. LAST APACHE (FR) is the one who could be flashing late if they overcook it, but barrier nine in a 1100m handicap means he’s giving away too much track position.
Race 4 Tips — JAMESON ULTRA DRY & LIME 10% RTD F&M MAIDEN HANDICAP (1100m)
2 BALMORAL CASTLE
There’s no recovery time in a race this short, so the map is everything, and 2. BALMORAL CASTLE is the risk-and-reward play: she’s the best finisher in the race, but she’s drawn to need luck. Wide gate. No favours. Zac Lloyd will have to make a call early — snag right out and hope they run along, or slide across and try to find a smother midfield. Her Rosehill third over 1200m behind Plaintiff is the right piece of form for a Hawkesbury maiden: she was still back at the 800m, but when the race broke up she let down hard, running 33.41 for her last 600m and closing to just over two lengths. That’s proper acceleration for this grade. The Kensington 1300m failure reads as a run where she never got into it from the rear, and I’m not marking her down too sharply for it given the jump to 1100m today can sharpen her. She’s not a leader’s friend in a potentially steady-run affair, but if Ascot Green and company lift mid-race, she’s the one who can round them up. Needs tempo. Needs timing. Still the bet.
Dangers & Value
8. PLUME is the obvious danger because she maps cleaner from barrier three and her Newcastle third over 900m on Soft 5 was solid late, which can be enough in a race that turns into a dash home. 9. TIGLETTA gets the right stalking run and Rachel King can be positive if it’s walking. 7. MIMI’S is harder to trust on exposed form, but she’s at least drawn to be in the first half and that can win these Hawkesbury sprints.
Race 5 Tips — VODKA CRUISER CUP PROVINCIAL MAIDEN HANDICAP (1300m)
14 READY MADE HEIR
This is the race on the card where value punters should be sharpening their pencils, and I’m happy to be with 14. READY MADE HEIR each-way because she keeps doing enough without getting the right race. She’s not a killer. But she’s honest. And from barrier eight, Ms Anna Roper can have her in the moving line instead of buried on the fence praying for runs. The Mornington second over 1280m in a $50k Super Maiden is the run that jumps off the page: she was third at the 800m, got to the right spot, and fought on behind Olympian, beaten under two lengths in a deeper race than your typical provincial maiden. It wasn’t a soft second. It had substance. Before that at Port Macquarie she was beaten a length and a half after settling back in the field, and the earlier Port Macquarie second in a fillies and mares maiden had her spotting them a start again and still sticking on. With several on-pacers engaged here — Classic Two and Demmo Dermy among them — this should be run along. That gives her every chance to build into it and be the one hitting the line strongly late. Keep her safe.
Dangers & Value
1. CLASSIC TWO is the tricky one because he’s coming out of much higher prizemoney races overseas, but those Happy Valley runs were a long time ago and he still hasn’t shown the killer punch to win a maiden. From gate nine he may have to push on and do work. 10. SUNSET BELLE draws to get a soft trail from barrier three and can be in the first wave when they straighten. 5. ALL STAR maps for cover and if the speed collapses he’s the type who can bob up for a place at odds.
Race 6 Tips — BUNDABERG DROP BEAR – SPICY PINEAPPLE BENCHMARK 64 HANDICAP- HEAT OF THE RISING STAR (1600m)
5 SHUTTER
Nothing separates the top four on form, which makes the map the tiebreaker, and 5. SHUTTER is the one I want charging at them late if they make this a proper mile. He’s got a sticky gate. That’s the knock. But with Fiorsum Fred drawn to hold the fence and Valiant Bomb in the mix, there’s enough pace pressure for Deon Le Roux to tuck in somewhere midfield-back rather than being last and hopeless. His Scone win two back over 1600m was a demolition job for that grade, sitting seventh at the 800m then ripping home in 34.28 to put 3.5 lengths on them. That’s a horse with a turn of foot. The Dubbo failure from barrier eleven reads like a run where he never got into the race, and I’m comfortable overlooking it given he bounced straight back at Taree on Soft 6, again circling from the back and grinding them down late. He loves a bit of give, and his 1600m record is outstanding for a country/provincial gelding. This is harder than BM58, no doubt, but the prizemoney jump isn’t massive and the profile says he’s still on the up. He’ll need luck. He’s still the bet.
Dangers & Value
2. WAEREA is flying and brings metropolitan BM64 form off that Newcastle second where he was only nailed late, and he maps to get the cosy run from barrier six. 3. FIORSUM FRED can pinch it if he controls from the inside and they let him dictate. 10. LUNA BAY (NZ) is the other leader/handy type who can take running down if the mile turns into a sit-and-sprint, and that’s the scenario Shutter doesn’t want.
Race 7 Tips — JIM BEAM CUP CONDITIONAL BENCHMARK 68 HANDICAP (2000m)
5 MONTY BE QUICK (IRE)
You need to be genuinely strong through the line to win these, and 5. MONTY BE QUICK (IRE) gets his chance to make it a proper staying test by controlling the race from a soft gate. He maps to roll forward. He maps to breathe. If they do what the map suggests and nobody is desperate to lead, Mitch Stapleford can have him in front or parked outside it without spending much. Yes, the Newcastle run over 2300m was a complete wipeout, beaten 21 lengths, but it reads like one of those days where he was taken on early, never got a mid-race breather, and the wheels fell off late — he was still first at the 800m and then gone. I’m prepared to forgive it because two starts back at Hawkesbury over 2000m he did exactly what wins these races: led, judged it, and kicked hard enough to hold them off, winning by a neck. That’s the blueprint again. Soft 5 is fine for him, he’s already shown he handles give, and he’s two-from-two at the trip. This is his distance. He can make his own luck.
Dangers & Value
2. GOOFINATOR is the obvious threat if the speed is only moderate because he’s a grinder who keeps coming, and his Warwick Farm win in a BM72 on Soft 7 says he’s going well, but the wide gate forces Dylan Gibbons to make decisions early. 3. KING KIKAU will be warming up late and is a must for exotics if the leaders overdo it. 7. FALCON LAIR gets in light and can land closer than the true backmarkers, which matters in a race that may not be run at a breakneck clip.
Race 8 Tips — VOODOO RANGER CUP CLASS 1 HANDICAP (1300m)
8 MY PROCLAMA (NZ)
Nobody wants to lead, which turns this into a lottery from the 400, but 8. MY PROCLAMA (NZ) is the one I trust to absorb the mess and still finish over the top. She’s drawn wide in eleven. That’s the hurdle. Yet in a race lacking natural intent, Dylan Gibbons can slide across, find a line with cover, and have her building into the race instead of chasing a leaders’ picnic. The Kembla Grange win on Soft 7 was exactly the sort of performance you want to see stepping into a Class 1: she was eighth at the 800m, last pairs, and still reeled them in with a strong 34.76 last 600m to win by 0.8. That’s a proper closing sprint on wet ground, and it says she’s not just beating tired horses — she’s got a turn of foot when the race is there to be won. Her earlier Newcastle second in a $60k Super Maiden, where she was actually on speed and only beaten a third of a length, tells you she’s versatile if the tempo is slow and the jockey wants to be closer. This is the horse the hawkesbury form guide should revolve around. She’s the best bet on the card.
Dangers & Value
6. YOUR CHILLI has upside after winning at Canberra second-up on Soft 7 and Tommy Berry will be hunting for cover from gate seven, but he’s still learning and this is a different pressure race. 4. CHEEKY SMIRK draws to get the run of it from barrier three with Jay Ford, and if it turns into a sit-and-sprint he’s the one who can pinch first run. 1. EXTRA HEIGHTS is the deep closer who needs everything to go right from the outside alley; he can run on, but he’ll need luck and tempo.
Race 9 Tips — FIREBALL CINNAMON WHISKY MIDWAY BENCHMARK 64 HANDICAP (1100m)
2 JUST AWESOME
In a 1000m, what you do in the first 200 decides everything, and while this is 1100m the same rule applies with the amount of speed engaged. 2. JUST AWESOME has the right gate, the right pattern, and the right kind of recent win to be played each-way in a race where plenty will be under pressure before they even straighten. Fast early. No cheap sectionals. That suits the tough ones. His Kembla Grange win over 1000m in a Provincial Class 1 was a clean piece of speed racing: jumped, led, controlled, and kicked hard enough to win by half a length with a slick 33.60 last 600m. He then went to Gosford in a Midway BM64 and was beaten three lengths after landing fourth at the 800m; that’s not a failure, that’s just a race where the winner got away and he couldn’t bridge the gap late. Back to Hawkesbury with barrier four, Zac Lloyd can either hold the fence behind the leaders or press and sit outside them if it’s chaotic. He handles soft ground. He’s not a moral. But he’s in the fight the whole way, which is what you want for hawkesbury racing tips late in the day.
Dangers & Value
11. KISS GOODNIGHT is a serious danger dropping from much richer assignments, and his Hawkesbury second on Soft 5 two runs back says he’s right at home here, but he’s likely to be in the same early speed battle. 1. AGAINST THE LAW has the class to win a BM64, yet barrier twelve means he’ll be spotting them track position in a fast-run 1100m. 5. FUADEE is another who maps awkwardly from thirteen, but if they go too hard he’s the one who can be launching into the placings.
Best Bets
The headline in the best bets for Hawkesbury is MY PROCLAMA (NZ) in Race 8 as the meeting best bet, coming off that Soft 7 win at Kembla Grange with a closing sprint that suits a muddling Class 1. The best value runner is READY MADE HEIR in Race 5 each-way, a mare with Super Maiden form who gets the right race shape to be storming late in a genuinely run 1300m.
Odds, scratchings and conditions can change — check closer to jump.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time is Race 1 at Hawkesbury on Thursday, 26 March 2026?
Race 1 at Hawkesbury on Thursday, 26 March 2026 is scheduled for 12:35PM. It’s a 1600m Class 1 & Maiden Plate with a small field, which usually makes barriers and early positioning more important than big closing sectionals. Always confirm final start times on race morning.
What does a Soft 5 track mean for betting at Hawkesbury?
A Soft 5 typically means there’s give in the ground but it’s still a fair, runnable surface, not a bog. At Hawkesbury it often rewards horses that can travel and quicken without needing the track to be firm. It also brings wet-track proven runners into play, especially in sprints.
What is the best bet at Hawkesbury on Thursday, 26 March 2026?
The best bet is Race 8, 8. MY PROCLAMA (NZ). She comes off a strong win at Kembla Grange on Soft 7 where she swept home from the back and was still strong through the line. In a race lacking obvious leaders, she’s the runner with the most reliable finishing strength.
Does the rail position favour leaders at Hawkesbury with +2m from the 800m to the 400m, then true?
With the rail +2m from the 800m to the 400m and true elsewhere, Hawkesbury generally plays fairly, but it can still reward horses that settle in the first half when the tempo is only moderate. The key is whether races become sit-and-sprints; if they do, leaders and on-pace runners can be hard to reel in.
How should I approach a 9-race Hawkesbury card like this?
This is a card where you can narrow in the races with clear class or form edges, then be more flexible in the messy maidens. Use a “confidence” approach: stake up on the strongest profile (Race 8), play each-way where map and price matter (Races 2, 5, 6, 9), and keep exotics wider in the short sprints.