In Brief
- McInerney clocks fastest time in TAS Sprint Championship heats.
- Blake Pursell confident his star chaser will show further improvement.
- Just Posh shows plenty of class to qualifier for the TAS Sprint Championship.
Easter Cup winner McInerney continued on his winning ways in Launceston on Thursday night, as the Blake Pursell-trained chaser qualified fastest for next week’s $10,620 Tasmanian Sprint Championship Final.
After a moderate beginning from box one, McInerney quickly gained momentum to take the lead at the first turn, powering away to score by almost six lengths over second placegetter Buckle Up Avery in 29.41secs.
The son of Fernando Bale and Born Ali has thrived on the racetrack of late, winning four of his last five starts, with brilliant career statistics of nineteen victories from forty-eight starts for owner/breeder Noel Mugavin.
Just Posh wins her Tasmanian Sprint Championship heat in Launceston 4 August
Brighton-based trainer Blake Pursell was elated by McInerney’s performance despite having missed the start.
“I couldn’t be more happier in the way he performed to win, it’s a real testament to the dog’s ability and he hasn’t raced for two weeks prior to the last win, the dog did well to overcome the trouble early,” Pursell said.
“We’ve taken a lot from his mainland campaign in comparison to the quality of sprinters over there to ours and McInerney proved he has come back a more tough performer than ever which is a great improvement.”
McInerney has come up with box 2 in the sprint final against rival heat winner Just Posh coming from box 4.
Pursell said his gifted chaser would take further improvement to his fitness from the heat win, and will look to keep him in a similar training routine in the lead-up to being primed ready to give his all in next week’s decider.
Dilston trainer Patrick Ryan qualified for his second Tasmanian Sprint Championship feature after Just Posh led throughout to score a real gusty three-length winning performance over Buckle Up Hazel in 29.66secs.
The daughter of Aston Dee Bee has a strong affinity with the Launceston track winning 5 races from 11 starts.
Patrick is no certainly no stranger to being involved with the National Sprint Championship having previously represented Queensland with Wine Glass in the 1997 final finishing fourth to Prince Of Tigers at Angle Park.
Winner of the Tasmanian Sprint Championship next Thursday night will represent the state in the $75,000 Group 1 National Sprint Championship Final over 520-metres at Wentworth Park in Sydney on 27 August.
Tasmanian Sprint Championship Final Box Draw
Box 1 – Classy Lady
Box 2 – McInerney
Box 3 – Vintage Fame
Box 4 – Just Posh
Box 5 – Highland Fame
Box 6 – Buckle Up Avery
Box 7 – Quick Joey Small
Box 8 – Buckle Up Hazel
Reserves
1st Res – Fox Watch Nights
2nd Res – Buckle Up Aria
Watch McInerney (1) win his Tasmanian Sprint Championship heat in Launceston: