Race 1, Northam, AFGRI COMBINES HANDICAP
This BM 64 sprint over 1000m at Northam on 23 July 2026 runs on a Soft track and shapes as a small, manageable field where barriers and early positioning matter more than any class gap between runners. With only three genuine contenders to sort through, the race leans on how each runner maps and whether the favourite can handle a step up in grade.
Brazen Butcher ($1.65) sits well clear of the market and holds the strongest case here. Form is trending in the right direction, and at 1000m on a Soft track the horse needs to be near the pace to be effective. The caution is real: this is a grade rise, and a sprinting track at Northam on soft footing can expose any weakness in a prep. If the race develops at genuine tempo, the favourite's margin for error narrows.
Slip The Jab ($3.90) is the second pick in the market and sits much closer to Sharpassa than to Brazen Butcher. Form is also on the improve, and both runners share the same grade-rise caution. At the 1000m journey, any horse that can find a clean run and hold together in the straight is a factor. The gap to the favourite is real, but Slip The Jab is the logical alternative.
Sharpassa ($4.20) is effectively line-ball with Slip The Jab in the market. The same form-on-the-improve note applies, and the grade rise presents the same question. With odds this close to the second pick, the case to separate them comes down to positioning on the day.
The conditions that change this read most are track deterioration and how the pace holds in a short-field sprint. If the Soft rating firms or eases further before jump, the relative advantage between runners may shift. A messy tempo or wide barrier draw for Brazen Butcher would bring the others into genuine contention.
What are you prepared to lose today?
Gambling Help Online. 1800 858 858. gamblinghelponline.org.au