The Insider – Australian Analysis April 16 Edition

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The $1.25 million 2026 TABtouch The Nullarbor will be run at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

A field of 10 runners will contest the Group 1 slot race, which is the seventh event on the 10-race Gloucester Park program.

Supporting The Nullarbor is the Group 2 Preux Chevalier 4YO Classic, the Group 2 Empress Stakes, the Listed 3YO Colts & Geldings APG Sales Classic, and the Listed 3YO Fillies APG Sales Classic.

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Gloucester Park (Friday, April 17)

Race 4

The Group 2 Preux Chevalier 4YO Classic (2536m) is a $100,000 feature event that sees Lazi Dais drawn perfectly in barrier one as he chases a sixth straight win for trainer Ryan Bell. The gelding will be driven by Ryan Warwick. His biggest opposition appears to be Group 1 WA Derby winner Runkle Crunch and Mad Monday who has won his past three starts.

LAZI DAIS (1) resumed last month and quickly showed he has returned a more powerful horse with five wins in a row, including a 32m demolition at Bridgetown against older horses. Two starts back he ripped home in 54.1 seconds at Bunbury, winning by 13.2m against easier opposition. His latest victory was over the 2130m here at Gloucester Park when defeating the 4YO & 5YO pacers. He will lead the 4YO Classic field and looks hardest to beat – the 2536m journey is new territory for him though.

RUNKLE CRUNCH NZ (4) is a huge danger in the race and he is quite versatile. Aiden De Campo’s horse has shown both toughness and speed. He will have no issue with the longer distance after his Group 1 WA Derby (2536m) win in October. SOHO SHAKEDOWN (2) looks the best roughie in the race from barrier two. He will be saved for one run at them. MAD MONDAY (8) is flying; it’s just the wide draw that poses a huge concern. LINCOLN LOU NZ (9) is another sectional star in this race, but the horror draw means he needs a lot of luck to figure in the finish.

Selections: 1-4-2-8

LAZI DAIS (1) to win

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Race 5

A capacity field of 12 mares contests the Group 2 Empress Stakes (2536m) which sees a dominant favourite in the form of the Gary Hall Snr-trained four-year-old mare Fakenit. The WA Oaks winner of last season has been runner up in both runs this preparation and has now drawn barrier two. She meets the likes of Wonderful To Fly, Little Darling, Penny Black, Delightful Peg, Aardiesbytheseaside and Copy Cat Queen. It shapes to be an intriguing contest.

FAKENIT (2) has come up with a good barrier draw after two runs where she has chased home her stablemate DELIGHTFUL PEG NZ (8). Maddison Brown will be trying to keep out some dangers drawn outside her in order to run to the top from WONDERFUL TO FLY (1) who will almost certainly take a trail. If she leads, FAKENIT (2) will be extremely hard to beat, but she could also sit parked and go close to winning.

COPY CAT QUEEN (11) follows the favourite at the start and this is a great barrier draw as long as she doesn’t get too far back in the run. Aiden De Campo will be hoping only a couple of horses on the front line go forward so that he can settle midfield at worst. The five-year-old mare has a powerful finishing burst on her and she appeals each-way.

PENNY BLACK NZ (7) has been the benchmark and has each-way claims in the race. WONDERFUL TO FLY (1) has the same from the good draw. Smaller hopes to DELIGHTFUL PEG NZ (8) and AARDIEBYTHESEASIDE NZ (9) from the wide draws but it won’t be easy for either to get into the race.

Selections: 2-11-1-7

COPY CAT QUEEN (11) each way

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Race 7

The big race is finally here with the 2026 TABtouch The Nullarbor (2536m) and we see the rivalry continue between WA’s best two horses in Minstrel and Magnificent Storm. The addition of the eastern state visitors Bulletproof Boy, Ubetcha Tigerpie and Max Delight adds another dimension to the race. Tactics will be crucial at the start with Max Delight and Magnificent Storm drawing barriers three and four respectively. There should be a strong tempo throughout with $1.25 million on the line and the winning slot receiving $500,000.

My speed map is MAGNIFICENT STORM NZ (4) finding the front and MINSTREL NZ (5) parked outside him. Once MINSTREL NZ (5) finds the breeze, Deni Roberts is extremely unlikely to relinquish it to another runner. The likely peg line behind MAGNIFICENT STORM NZ (4) will be HUGOTASTIC NZ (1) and UBETCHA TIGERPIE (10) – the latter should appreciate a soft trip and three back on the fence is often a good position in the big, high-pressure races at this track.

MAGNIFICENT STORM NZ (4) has won all five starts this campaign, all of them at Group 3 level over all distance ranges. The key will be not burning too hard in the first 200-300m and then keeping the lead time in check. Anything quicker than 66 seconds could be disadvantageous for the Ray Williams-trained nine-year-old gelding. He gets the top slot in my selections but only just.

MINSTREL NZ (5) is one of three Team Bond runners in the race and the nine-year-old gelding enters the race third-up from a spell. He is accustomed to doing it tough constantly and his Group 1 WA Pacing Cup (2536m) triumph in December was exceptional. With $2 million in prizemoney under the belt, he is going to run a huge race once again. A host of horses can win the race if the two favourites overdo it on the pace and they include HUGOTASTIC NZ (1), MAX DELIGHT (3), MIGHTY RONALDO (6), GOLDEN LODE NZ (7), BULLETPROOF BOY (8) and UBETCHA TIGERPIE (10). I know I have named most of the field, but the only two horses that would genuinely shock me after considering the likely speed map is JUSTCALLMEMIKI NZ (2) and FRANCO MOTU NZ (9). Good luck to all involved!

Selections: 4-5-8-10

MAGNIFICENT STORM NZ (4) to win

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Race 8

The Listed 3YO Colts & Geldings APG Sales Classic (2130m) looks extremely competitive on paper after Ideal Beach drew barrier 12 for Justin Prentice and Gary Hall Jnr. The biggest beneficiary at the barrier draw is the Kim Prentice-trained Wake Up Geoff who was runner up in the Group 1 Golden Slipper (2130m). Aiden De Campo has a strong hand in the race with Amalfi Knight, Bettor Behave and Wheelsofortune.

AMALFI KNIGHT (4) has shown plenty of raw talent in his six-start career, winning three races. He enters the Sales Classic second-up from a spell after a perfect fresh run where he sat back and found the line strongly when sixth behind his stablemate Wishing Belle. Despite being beaten 22.4m, he ran an almost identical last 800m to the filly, running home in 55.2 seconds. Whether he can bully his way to the lead from WAKE UP GEOFF (1), sits parked, or looks for cover on stablemate WHEELSOFORTUNE (9), I think AMALFI KNIGHT (4) has strong claims.

IDEAL BEACH (12) has won five of his eight starts and is the horse they all have to beat. He doesn’t have to get involved at the start and Gary Hall Jnr will then have options. WAKE UP GEOFF (1) has the ideal draw and is racing well, each-way chance. CEASE TO REACT (5) and BETTOR BEHAVE (6) rate well on sectional times and any pressure would suit both horses in the race.

Selections: 4-12-1-6

AMALFI KNIGHT (4) to win

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Race 9

Aiden De Campo’s star filly Wishing Belle has a stranglehold on the Listed 3YO Fillies APG Sales Classic (2130m) as she boasts 10 wins from 13 career starts. She has won twice from four starts this preparation against stronger opposition and the wide draw is unlikely to trouble her.

We can keep this pretty simple. WISHING BELLE (8) should be winning. CRUNCHNSIP (2) looks a strong chance to run second. LIVY ANN (1), EL RAES GIRL (4), SKYHIGH ADDA (6) and NOT SO SWEET (10) have place claims in the race.

Selections: 8-2-6-4

CRUNCHNSIP (2) to place

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For complete Gloucester Park fields, click here.

by Trent Orwin for Harnesslink

This big race preview content was first released to The Insider subscribers and will only be available on the website until May 01 2026.
From then it will be exclusive to Insider subscribers. Don’t wait days for the edge on the latest news. Get our previews, selections, and insights early by joining our free newsletter The Insider.