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By Neil Evans

Track Heavy 8 and rail out 5m from 1000m to 400m and 3m the remainder

We start a wide open card across big fields over the longer trip on a track likely to remain in heavy range. Hard to believe five-year-old 5. Dunlee is still a maiden after 22 starts, but he can fix that here deep into the current prep at good odds. Boxed on okay in provincial company two runs back before finishing hard to miss narrowly in a better quality race at Dubbo. Can park a bit closer here from the inside draw, and a leading country rider sticks solid.

Dangers: Local mare 4. Sure Strategy has a lot more to offer than her poor strike rate suggests. Closed off well at big odds here behind a talented winner, and the step up in distance is ideal.

How to play it: Dunlee to win
Odds and Evens: Split

Tough sprint, but leaning to Outreach filly 6. Lucky Crumpet resuming. Hasn't publicly trialled, but can settle back off a good speed and produce a superior final 300m sprint. Bred to handle the conditions.

Dangers: Watch the betting on Snitzel three-year-old 2. Out In Force on debut behind a quiet trial; while 9. Sookeysie can improve at her second start for the leading home track stable.

How to play it: Lucky Crumpet to win
Odds and Evens: Split

Former metro and now locally-trained filly 11. Tiempe Passate has a clear class edge here. Charged home to just miss in a good maiden here in first run for the Cody Morgan stable, just doesn't want to get too far back from the inside gate for one who likes to settle off speed.

Dangers: Gap to the rest headed by honest local mare 8. Jade who is hard fit; while 10. Suva May is best of the rest second-up.

How to play it: Tiempe Passate to win
Odds and Evens: Split

Tricky maiden again. Home track two-year-old 8. Acotango is third-up and coming through a handy formline when closing off late. Looks well placed in a weakened race.

Dangers: Honest filly 2. Lovelier who sat behind the speed and didn't finish it off in that same race, although not beaten far, and that was her first run since transferring down from Qld.

How to play it: Acotango to win
Odds and Evens: Evens

Local five-year-old 2. Impactful only has a moderate record from 24 starts, but gets his chance third-up from a softer draw, with the early market fancies all being scratched.

Dangers: Improving mare 13. Kadashi can peak third-up in preferred ground.

How to play it: Impactful to win
Odds and Evens: Split

Honest home track five-year-old 2. Warrah Flash can strike fourth-up with a claim in a moderate race for this grade.

Dangers: Consistent four-year-old 8. Foreign Brother has a real liking for rain-affected ground; while both local mare 6. Mook's Sister; and provincial three-year-old 4. Senseiche fourth-up; can run into the placings.

How to play it: Warrah Flash to win and box trifecta 2,4,6,8
Odds and Evens: Evens a special

Ex-Kembla three-year-old 3. Bully For You is on debut for a new stable from a low draw, and only win so far from seven starts came first-up last time in heavy conditions.

Dangers: Local five-year-old 2. Absolute Legend attacked the line impressively second-up under a big weight, but drawn wide. Both honest three-year-old 5. Salt And Pepper fourth-up; and 7. Miss Laquetta from a nice trailing draw; are worthy exotic runners.

How to play it: Bully For You to win
Odds and Evens: Odds

Feature race of the day from the partially postponed Gunnedah meeting earlier in the week throws up plenty of chances. Like the value of progressive five-year-old 9. Hit The Rim fourth-up and out to this distance at the right time. Charged home to win a handy BM 66 at Dubbo two runs back before holding his spot in a tougher Highway 20 days ago. Gets a nice 3kg weight drop for this, and the transfer to a bigger and more reliable wet weather track is a further plus.

Dangers: Tough seven-year-old 1. Hit The Target will appreciate the drop back from deeper metro grade fourth-up and is a reliable wet tracker, although still faces a task carrying 62kg. Honest seven-year-old 2. Reward Seeker isn't far off another win after working home late behind a smart winner in the Wellington Cup run at Dubbo. Has a 30 percent win rate from 22 starts, and is comfortable in rain-affected ground, but up sharply in weight and will likely be forced a long way back from the barrier. Include in exotics at big odds 4. Mandalong Tapit who likes it wet.

How to play it: Hit The Rim each way
Odds and Evens: Split

We close a big meeting with the restricted sprinters in another likely very wide betting race. Keen at the value on consistent filly 3. In Spades who hasn't missed a place this prep, and can make it two wins from her last four. Reliable weight carrier who came from well back to beat all bar a dominant and smart winner here a fortnight ago, and is the superior heavy tracker.

Dangers: Last start third-up winner at this track, 4. Scarzel has good early speed to offset the barrier. Local 5. Taketheshot is an each-way chance fifth-up and down in weight; while 1. Trumped Up goes through the exotics.

How to play it: In Spades to win
Odds and Evens: Split

BEST BETS:
R4 8. ACOTANGO
R9 3. IN SPADES

BEST VALUE:
R8 9. HIT THE RIM

All the fields, form and replays for Friday's Tamworth meeting