THE night racing season kicks off in Launceston tonight with an eight-race card that boasts a lot of young horses making their return to racing and many with their eyes on feature races during the Tasmanian Summer Racing Carnival.
A horse that made quite an impact in winning on debut recently was Van Diemens Fire and he gets his chance to warrant a trip to Melbourne for the greys race on Melbourne Cup day.
Van Diemens Fire is an impeccably bred four-year-old by Grey Swallow that could not have been more impressive in winning on debut over 1200 metres in Hobart four weeks ago.
The Brendan McShane-trained grey gelding missed the start and at one stage looked unlikely to figure n the finish but when apprentice Bulent Muhcu aimed his charge at a gap in the home straight he quickly hauled in the leaders and went on to win comfortably.
The third horse home in that race Carnelian Crystal has since won to frank the form from the race.
But Van Diemens Fire’s win needed no franking.
After the race his owner Denis Coffey and trainer McShane confirmed the greys race at Flemington on the first Tuesday in November was one of their targets.
Tonight the gelding has drawn barrier one and provided he isn’t as slowly away as he was in Hobart then the gate should ensure he gets a cushy run in the first half of the race.
If Muhcu can find clear racing room in the home straight the grey should have a bit on his rivals.
However the opposition is strong. Last-start winner Havana Stash (Brendon McCoull) looks the testing material with the three-year-old showing enough promise to suggest he could be a genuine Tasmanian Guineas prospect.
Add to the mix the in-form Grey Hype (also by Grey Swallow), last-start Devonport winner Magic Impulse and two of last season’s better performed two-year-olds Geegees Red Rock and Gee Gee Black Fury and we have the ingredients of a brilliant race over 1400 metres.
If Van Diemens Fire wins he will be one of the rare few to win a class one immediately following a maiden victory but McShane is quietly confident his steed has what it takes.
The balance of the program is littered with multiple winning chances in most races.
Finding a best won’t be easy but if the Angela Brakey-trained Neil’s Gold can take his recent form into the benchmark 78 over 2100 metres (race eight) he looms as one of the best bets on the program.
Neil’s Gold won a benchmark 78 event over 1600 metres in Hobart last start with Siggy Carr aboard but tonight he will be partnered by his regular rider, apprentice David Fisher who will claim two kilograms to reduce the gelding’s weight to 57 kg.
Uboa won two in succession before his last-start flop so he must be considered a chance along with Can Get Thirsty, Future Dividend and Veloce Cavallo.
Lacey Azz (10) will be at generous odds in race five but she rattled home in Hobart last start to suggest that she could be ready to break her maiden status to be the best outsider on the card.
The track is rated a dead 5 with a penetrometer reading of 4.54 with a light shower possible early in the night.