IT would be fair to say that if the Scott Brunton stable has a good day at the office at UBET Park Hobart today then leading jockey David Pires should clinch this season’s jockey’s premiership.
Like Brunton, Pires holds a four-win lead in the race for the premiership going into today’s eight-race meeting and with Pires down to ride two well-backed pre-post favourites for the leading trainer and two others that are on the second or third line of betting.
Extended Warranty is expected to give Brunton and Pires a win when the three-year-old filly lines up for her Tasmanian debut in a relatively weak maiden (race one)/
Extended Warranty comes to Tasmania with good Melbourne form that includes two minor placings in good company at Sandown but the only query is she has form on good racks and has never raced on a soft to heavy track.
Pires and Brunton team up again with Midnight Tears that has been backed in from $5.50 to $2.80 favourite to win the sixth race. The Call To Arms Cup over 1200 metres.
Midnight Tears has solid first-up form with her record of a win and two seconds from only four starts suggesting she has above average ability and she has a liking for soft ground.
Pires has amassed 70 winners this season to be four clear of Brendon McCoull who has been gradually closing the gap.
The Dianne Ray-Luttrell-trained Lacey Azz looks to be another top winning chance for Pires in race three and Tiger Jack for Brunton has been well backed to win the final race on the card.
McCoull also has a good book of rides with Qui Samer (race seven), Pixelated (race five) and Danzqui (race six) for trainers Chris Crook and Imogen Miller the best winning chances of his seven rides.
Watch Qui Samer win at her most recent outing in Launceston on June 14.
The first race is scheduled to start at 11.47 am and the last at 4.08 pm.
By Peter Staples.