LAST season’s Easter Cup winner Our Sir Jeckyl sounded a warning to all comers last week that he was back bigger and better than ever with a convincing win in the Launceston Mile (1680m) at The TOTE Racing Centre in Launceston last Sunday night.
Our Sir Jeckyl was voted Tasmania’s best four-year-old and older last season with his Easter Cup triumph the best of his seven wins from 16 starts.
The Tony Petersen-trained gelding is being aimed at the Group 1 Tasmania Cup and connections could not have asked for a better first-up effort.
The gelding lines up in the Peter Kurowski FFA over 2090 metres at Tattersall’s Park in Hobart on Sunday night in which he has drawn gate 10 on the second line.
With the exception of dance Of The Deity this next assignment is against almost the same line-up but with the inclusion of the Greg Norman-trained Ti Vogliobene that has been racing against the likes of Make Mine Cullen and Smokin’ Up.
Ricky Duggan handled the reins on Our Sir Jeckyl in this year’s Easter Cup but he handed them back to the horse’s regular driver Rodney Ashwood for the balance of last preparation.
But Duggan was aboard last week in the Launceston Mile and Petersen has decided not to alter the winning formula for Sunday night’s assignment.
Cosmic Under Fire (Grant Campbell) was running on well at the business end of proceedings in the Launceston Mile but he will be better suited over Sunday night’s journey.
Babyitsu has drawn awkwardly on the inside of the second line but if his driver Gareth Rattray can get him off the fence and in full flight somewhere in the back straight then he will make his presence felt where it counts.