CHAMPION jockey Damien Oliver will team up with leading Sydney trainer Chris Waller to ride in-form stayer Instrumentalist in the 2014 Betfair Hobart Cup over 2400 metres at Tattersall’s Park on Sunday week.
Instrumentalist has won two of his past three starts and Oliver has partnered the European import to both wins, the latest at Caulfield in a BM96 handicap over 2400 metres last Saturday.
Instrumentalist will be Waller’s first starter in Tasmania and given the horse’s form he could start favourite.
Oliver is no stranger to riding in Tasmania having won numerous feature races including the 2007 Hobart Cup aboard the Colin Little-trained Blutigeroo.
There was speculation that Craig Newitt would be aboard Instrumentalist but he is now expected to ride one of Michael Moroney’s two nominations Surpass or Shenzhou Steeds.
Newitt partnered Surpass into sixth place in the Piping Lane at Flemington last Saturday week but finished only 1.8 lengths from the winner Index Linked.
The Mick Kent-trained Epingle finished third in the Piping Lane and she too will line up in the Cup with Craig Williams as her possible rider.
Other interstate nominations expected to make the trip across bass Strait include the Darren Weir-trained First Bloom that was second in last year’s Tasmanian Oaks but she scored an emphatic win in a fillies and mares’ benchmark 84 race at Moonee Valley over 2040 metres last Friday night to earn another trip to Tasmania.
Weir also has nominated his Tasmanian Derby hope Rainbow Storm for the Hobart Cup.
David Hayes will be represented by Unchain My Heart that comes off a fourth in the Bagot Handicap (2800m) at Flemington on New Year’s Day when ridden by last year’s Cox Plate-winning apprentice Chad Schofield.
But connections have opted to book former Kiwi rider Michael Walker who has had two rides aboard the mare but was unplaced both starts.
Geegees Blackflash and The Cleaner are Tasmania’s best hopes of keeping the lion’s share of the prizemoney in the state with Stephen Maskiell booked to ride Geegees
Blackflash and Anthony Darmanin will partner The Cleaner that was a game second to Index Linked in the Piping Lane.
There were 16 horses nominated for the $225,000 Group 3 Hobart Cup but nominations have been extended until 10 am today with weights to be declared by 3 pm on Friday.
Meanwhile the carnival heats up with the Group 3 Bow Mistress Trophy and Listed Tasmanian Derby the features on a nine-event card in Hobart on Sunday with strong interstate nominations for both races.
Weir’s Desert King gelding Rainbow Storm is expected to start favourite for the Derby on the strength of his recent wins at Caulfield and Morphetville (SA) and the Danny O’Brien-trained gelding De Little Engine also is expected to make the trip and his rider is likely to be Oisin Murphy from Ireland.
The Bow Mistress has attracted a star-studded line-up including Miss Stellabelle that has contested 21 Group or Listed races from her 23 starts along with the Peter Moody-trained Kneeling and the Robbie Griffith-trained You Can Dance that is likely to be ridden by Craig Newitt.
Star Tasmanian mare Rebel Bride will be attempting to win her third successive Bow Mistress.
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