Last Friday afternoon Launceston hosted a 10-race card in perfect weather and on an even better track with an upgrade from a soft 5 to a good 4. Winners came from everywhere and even racing gave every horse if good enough its chance.
Fans were spoilt on the night with five feature races including the Alexandra Plate, Brighton Cup, Winzenberg Handicap, Tasmanian Stakes and Tasmainian Guineas. John Blacker trained a race-to-race double in the Brighton Cup with Super Swoop and followed it up in the Guineas with Swoop Dog while Anthony Darmannin rode a double for the afternoon.
With the meeting starting earlier than the normal twilight time slot and the track playing fairly, we saw multiple winners being allowed to build momentum by starting their runs run before the home turn and getting to the middle of the track.
The winners & race summaries
Race 1 – Ladbrokes 2yo Alexandra Plate, 1100m – Miss Charlie Brown (1:04.67)
We kicked off the day with the 2YO Alpha Bowl providing us with a pretty good guide to how this race may pan out and there was no difference in the finishing order. The difference this time was that Miss Charlie Brown started favourite and deservedly so, Bulent Muhcu kept the Adam Trinder-trained filly out of the early speed battle, coming four wide at the home turn and looked much more comfortable down the straight than second favourite Gee Gee Lucky Jess and without being asked to do to much she ran passed Craig Newitt and recorded easily the fastest final 200m of the race. Gee Gee Lucky Jess’s final 200m was still fair considering she was made to work harder early to hold the rail but it was always a two horse race. Gee Gee Otherwords once again filled the placings and will win when he finds a weaker race. First starter Jetz who was given a chance by bookmakers ($3.70) raced three-wide on pace leaving it unable to show much once they turned for home, eventually fading finishing last.
Miss Charlie Brown (Bulent Muhcu) winning the Alexandra Plate.
Race 2 – 3yo Maiden 1100m – Gee Gee Rhythm (1:05.36)
From barrier 10 David Pires took Lake Bled straight to the lead and was lengths clear at the home turn before tiring to finish 2.5l from the fast finishing top three. Once it learns to settle it could win over 1000m-1100m. Gee Gee Rhythm was given a good ride from Ismail Toker who settled her midfield on the rail, with the fast tempo set by the leader he was able to stick closer to the inside and had a more conservative run, hitting the line well winning by less than a head. The run of second placed Sweetsop was probably the most impressive with Anthony Darmannin having to come from further back and she had the fastest final 200m of the race and will be even better over further and is one for the Black Book.
Race 3 -Maiden 1200m – Fighting Floyd (1:11.97)
Race favourite Keepers Touch ($2.50) had no luck with the barrier draw and raced wide early, however when asked for an effort was disappointing. On debut Merv Decides raced wide and still recorded the fastest final 200m and you wont see him go around at $41 in a maiden again, one for the Black Book. It was the second favourite and the horse with the best exposed form Fighting Floyd who was well ridden by Brendan McCoull up on the speed who was able to hold off the late challengers and win. Red October showed enough to suggest that she’ll make it out of maiden grade, she just didn’t get to build momentum around the home turn at a crucial stage. Noteably got back early but really worked through her gears down the straight and if she can draw a good barrier and get up on pace we’ll see her breaking through for a win soon.
Race 4 – Maiden 1400m – Little Hot Missile (1:25.70)
On the back of an impressive run on Longford Cup day, Little Hot Missile settled last and as the field bunched at the turn, Anthony Darmanin rounded the field and John Luttrell’s 4YO Smart Missile gelding produced the fastest final 400m/200m of the race and won impressively and looks likely to relish even further ground. Stan Tsaikos attempted to find a gap that wasn’t there on Our Rossa at the home bend ending the chances of his and Craig Newitt’s who was aboard Tennessee Too. Louisville was backed in from $41 to $11 and was given a good ride just behind the pace by Kyle Maskiell until they bunched at the turn and he had nowhere to go, unable to build momentum and sweating on some gaps to appear, but when they did he almost pinched it running second. Look for him to be winning soon.
Race 5 – BM64 1400m – Hela (1:25.97)
Promising 3YO filly’s Hela and Thelma went head to head and we got a pretty good indication of how they compare as they raced to the lead together, however it was the Scott Brunton-trained Hela who did enough late in the straight to win. The shortest price favourite of the day attracted plenty of attention and while it was an impressive win, it was the slowest 1400m of the day. We wont see a ridiculous price again on Seguimeintos who got out to $101, the 4YO Wordsmith mare running the second fastest final 400m of the race and took third place. Reanns Diamond showed she still has some speed left in her old legs running the fastest final 400m/200m to nearly pinch third.
Race 6 – Winzenberg Handicap 1100m – Liffybeau (1:04.29)
Race s6 saw money come for the Scott Brunton-trained Street Tough ($2.70-$2.05) and David Pires got the gelding into a nice position just behind the leader Gee Gee Lanett but when asked for an effort down the straight was only plain to the line off the back of two impressive runs in harder races recently. It was instead Troy Baker on Liffybeau who usually races on pace, but today found himself second last and travelling nicely who rounded them up and was leading at the top of the straight and couldn’t be caught despite a determined effort from John Blacker’s 8YO gelding Blaze Forth who had to carry 61kg and showed he still has some good runs left in him. Jockey Troy Baker commented post-race that whenever Liffybeau has been allowed to settle and doesn’t over race, he usually wins which proved to be the case here.
Race 7 – Brighton Cup 2100m – Super Swoop (2:10.47)
With entry to the Hobart Cup up for grabs, they began this race looking more like a 1000m dash down the straight at Flemington with a group of four, lead by race favourite Sir Simon breaking away fighting for the lead six-seven lengths clear of the rest of the field at the first turn. The end result showed that they simply went too hard early with the three horses that settled at the tail taking out the trifecta. Craig Newitt was patient and gave Super Swoop a nice run, staying away from the speed battle and getting a break on Toricain and Shady Hustle just before the turn which proved the difference. Shady Hustle worked home nicely but it was the roughie of the field Toricain ($151) that produced easily the fastest final 200m of the race to nearly pinch it on the line. Considering the extreme tempo set early, Sir Simon did well to stick on for fifth. Jockey Craig Newitt mentioned post-race that he thought there was plenty of improvement still to come from Super Swoop and the 2400m will suit.
Race 8 – Tasmanian Guineas 1600m – Swoop Dog (1:37.30)
In one of the most impressive performances of the day Kyle Maskiell gave John Blacker another winner, settling Swoop Dog one off the rail from midfield and came widest at the turn, motoring down the middle of the track in the fastest final 200m of the race. Maskiell looked spent after the race, taking the ride at 57kg but he keeps producing these excellent rides on horses from back in the field and Swoop Dog looks like the real deal and is on track for the Derby and Launceston Cup according to trainer John Blacker. Warrior Prince was crunched into favourite and then very disappointing. He didn’t jump well and settled last which is not his racing pattern. First Accused lost no admirers, settling behind the leader Freelancer they probably just set the race up a little for something to come from behind, Freelancer tired late however First Accused stuck on nicely for second. Vivillici’s run ended up very similar to its 3YO Trophy win, managing to sneak through on the rails for fifth. One Lotto was impressive, basically having the same run as the winner and was matching it with Swoop Dog down the straight which bodes well for his Derby prospects. Brendan McCoull gave Algernon the run of the race, settling on the rails behind the leader and peeling out off the back of Freelancer and stuck on well for fourth.
Race 9 – Tasmanian Stakes 1600m – Toorak Affair (1:37.20)
Toorak Affair (Anthony Darmanin) defeats Mandela Effect in the Tasmanian Stakes in Launceston.
The Tasmanian Stakes was a race between Mandela Effect and Toorak Affair according to punters and it proved just that however Mandela Effect wasn’t able to turn the tables on the Conquering Stakes result, this time with no excuses as he jumped well and landed up on pace to the inside of Toorak Affair but the Hobart Cup winner showed that she has come back an even better horse than last preparation, peeling out wider and getting the better of Mandela Effect down the straight. Considering what she is able to do at these shorter distances with the Cups in her sights, it’s a credit to her trainer Michael Trinder who must be extremely confident that she will be giving both Cups a shake again. Queen La Diva put in a solid first-up run for the Scott Brunton stable, sitting outside the leader and working home nicely for third. It was great to see Eastender back racing in Tasmania and even better to see how well he’s come back, Craig Newitt settled him at the tail and he worked home down the outside very nicely, barely being asked for an effort with the Cups in mind later on.
Race 10 – BM74 1400m – Coronation Glade (1:24.03)
Once again Siggy Carr notched another winner aboard a horse she trains in Coronation Glade, the big strong 6YO gelding settling nicely midfield and she made her move three-wide before the turn allowing him to build momentum and get through his gears pulling away for a one length victory. From back in the field Troy Baker had Paion flying late, running the fastest final 200m to storm home for second. Tough Boy ran an honest race sticking on for third after enjoying a cosy run one out one back, while Ocean Essence boxed on ok after leading to hold onto fourth.
FORMPLUS Blackbook
Everyone will be following Eastender closely already but his first-up run being ridden hands and heels working home nicely suggests to me he’s back in great order. Lake Bled had its race won 50m from the line and then tired badly, look for it when it draws an inside barrier and will improve off its first career run. Miss Charlie Brown ran 1:04.67 over the 1100m, compare that to Liffybeau’s win of 1:04.29 over the same distance and it’s obvious Adam Trinder has a very smart 2YO filly. Merv Decides was super on debut and we won’t be getting double figure odds on it again in a maiden. Swoop Dog looks to be a serious horse and John Blacker seems to have a huge opinion of him and is confident he’ll improve again over more ground. Louisville had no luck as he was unable to get clear running until late and a betting plunge from $41-$11 almost paid off. Sweetsop was impressive and came from well back, it looks like she could get out over further and wont be a maiden long.