SMART three-year-old Beautide is likely to start a warm favourite to take out the Globe Derby Stakes final following an impressive win in a heat at The TOTE Racing Centre in Launceston on Sunday night.
Beautide ($1.40) showed brilliant gate speed to lead and he was never headed on his way to an effortless victory over archrival Quastor Centurion and Modern Judge.
Quastor Centurion raced at the leader’s wheel for the duration and loomed as a genuine threat at the top of the straight but when Beautide’s driver Gareth Rattray released the reins the gelding forged clear and went on to score by 4-1/2 metres.
Modern Judge had the run of the race in the one-out-one-back position and loomed large turning for home but he too was no match for the winner finishing a head behind Quastor Centurion.
Beautide (Bettors Delight-Gorse Bush) has an imposing record of 11 wins from 15 starts and would only need to draw the front line in the final to be sent around a short-price favourite.
The remaining heat was taken out by outsider Poker Storm that came from well back in the field on the home turn to score from Johnny Ace and Bettor Draw.
The Adrian Duggan-trained and driven gelding went into the race with solid form and didn’t deserve to be sent around a $14.70 outsider.
At one stage of betting he touched $22 but educated money came late.
Poker Storm (Trump Casino-Cameo Mist) settled near the rear and Duggan was content to bide his time before making his run 550m out.
The gelding cut loose over the final 200 metres to get up in the last few strides over Johnnyace that made his run at the same time as the winner with Bettor Draw also making ground late.
The favourite Jaruzelski Leis ($1.70) faced the breeze throughout but was the first beaten turning for home and finished near last.
However, Jaruzelski Leis pulled hard early and again in the middle stages so he should be excused for the failure.
Beautide clocked a mile rate of 2m.01sec over the 2200-metre trip while Poker Storm was marginally slower with a rate of 2m.01.8sec.