THE battle between Jerilderie Letter and Tshahitsi was being hailed as the potential highlight of the eight-event card at Spreyton yesterday and Tasmania’s two rising stars didn’t let punters down.
Jerilderie Letter, a winner of six of his seven starts this season including the Tasmanian Derby, was resuming from a spell and up against talented four-year-old Tshahitsi who was clearly facing his toughest test to date.
Tshahitsi emerged triumphant scoring by 1-1/2 lengths but it was only his fitness level and being over a more suitable trip that gave him the edge.
Tshahitsi led with Brendon McCoull aboard and punters were keen to take whatever the fixed price corporate bookies offered as his price finally tumbled in for him to start the $2.20 equal favourite with UBET while Jerilderie Letter’s price eased out from $1.80 to $2.20.
Tshahitsi led and Jerilderie Letter missed the start but his rider, inexperienced Victorian apprentice Nathan Punch sent his charge along the rails but was quick to find an opening to get off the rail and at the half-way mark sent Jerilderie Letter around the field to sit outside of the leader.
Turning for home Punch called on Jerilderie Latter for the big effort and he forged clear but McCoull had yet to call on his four-year-old and when he did the gelded son of Clangalang dug deep and regained the lead and went on to win comfortably.
Tshahitsi is trained by Chris Crook and Imogen Miller and Crook was keen to outline future plans for the gelding which could include being aimed at the major cups.
“Tshahitsi’s brother North Lodge was good over two miles (3200m) and all along Brendon (McCoull) has been confident he is a horse that is capable of getting over more ground,” Crook said.
“He’s done a terrific job this time in so he will be sent for a spell and when he returns in November we’ll try him over 1600 to 2100m and if he measures up then we’ll progress to the major cups and if not we still have the weight-for-age races over 1400m and 1600m to target.
Jerilderie Letter’s trainer Adam Trinder was satisfied with his stable star’s effort.
“The way the race panned out he was always going to be vulnerable after doing that much work first-up,” Trinder said.
“The plan is to take him to Melbourne for a race at Caulfield in a fortnight and then go to the Silver Bowl at Flemington over 1600m a week later and those plans are still firmly in place,” he said.