Matt Reid’s Wednesday best bets at Launceston (16/09)

The 2026/27 Launceston Night Racing season begins on Wednesday night with seven races at Ladbrokes Racing Centre Mowbray.

It’s the first grass meeting in Tasmania for almost a month and the first at the track since mid-April.

The rail is at +5m for the return meeting, with the surface likely to race in the 4-5 range.

See the best bets from Matt Reid, courtesy of Tasracing.com.au.

Best bet

Race 3 – 8. Symphony Queen

Went back to last first-up in Devonport after drawing 10/10, circled the field and ran into the placings on the line. This is no harder, and she now draws the inside gate, which should allow Froggy to settle much closer to the speed in a race that doesn’t have much on paper. The 4yo ran in some decent maidens last preparation and may have come back an improved horse.

Next best

Race 5 – 5. Miss Lyra

Miss Lyra has switched from Adam Trinder to Stuart Gandy and now appears to be trained as a sprinter rather than the miler/stayer she was early in her career. She was ridden for speed in Hobart but overdid things up front and tired accordingly. I think 1100m may suit her at this stage of her career, with the key to her race being whether Chloe Wells can cross from a tricky draw.

Best value

Race 4 – 6. Royal Detective

There’s good pressure here. Alpine Fury, Rippington, Brave Jet, Alisent and Dennyson are all on pacers, which had me looking for one in behind, and that's Royal Detective. He won at his first Tassie start back in March and has often been a victim of tempo/pattern since then, as a horse that generally settles in the back half. I’d expect him to make his presence felt if Troy Baker can navigate a passage through the field.

Selections

Race 1: 4-2-3-1
Race 2: 1-8-4-3
Race 3: 8-3-5-4
Race 4: 6-3-1-2
Race 5: 5-2-1-4
Race 6: 3-4-8-2
Race 7: 2-4-1-6

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