The 2019 McKillop Insurance Brokers Tassie Golden Apple is the feature event on Saturday nights Launceston card. It is the second running of the event, replacing the City Of Launceston Cup.
Punters have installed Ryley Major as the short price favourite for the race after his track record performance in his heat last Friday.
The contenders for the 2200 metre standing start event are:
- FULL SPEED AHEAD
Trainer: Marc Butler
Driver: Ricky Duggan
Flew away from barrier six to lead in his heat last time out, his first 100-metres of the race was recorded in 10.60s on Tasracing’s Calculated sectionals, the quickest of any runner on the two heats staged. He is a genuine front runner who will take some catching and he is the last horse to defeat Ryley Major when leading all the way here on 25 September to score in a 56.6s last half mile.
- IM JAKS TELLER
Trainer: Juanita McKenzie
Driver: Paul Hill
The gelding won a claiming race in Hobart two starts ago when leading all the way to score under mobile start conditions. In his heat he stepped slow, but safely away to settle outside the leader before ending up one-out and one-back at the mile mark and ran on well over the concluding stages to finish second, genuine place hope who could end up on the back of Full Speed Ahead.
- FROSTYFLYER
Trainer: Ben Yole
Driver: Rohan Hadley
Stood flat-footed before galloping out in his heat where he ended up four-back along the marker pegs, he was held up behind a wall of horses on the home corner before running on well into third spot. Since that effort, the gelding went around in Hobart on Sunday where he enjoyed a lovely three-wide one-back cart up over the final circuit to finish second in a rating 60 to 70 event.
- DASHER HOULI
Trainer: Mark Reggrett
Driver: Taylor Ford
Returned to winning form convincingly last time, first-up since March in his heat here where he galloped out before finding his gate quickly to take up the lead. His first 100-metres was recorded in 11.70s so if he is to find the top, he can’t afford any early mistakes. Taylor Ford went for home 500-metres out and the gelding proved too strong late.
- SEA DOUBLE UGRANT
Trainer: Peter Dornauf
Driver: Mark Yole
Stepped away cleanly in his heat to record the second quickest first 100 metres in 11.30s, he was able to enjoy a cosy run behind the leader and battled away over the concluding stages to finish fourth. Ladbrokes have installed last season’s New Norfolk Cup winner as the outsider of the field.
- IDEAL WORLD
Trainer: Aaron Bain
Driver: Alex Ashwood
Galloped out in his heat where it took driver Alex Ashwood 100 metres to get the horse back down into a pace. After racing, one-out and two-back Ashwood was able to get the gelding on the back of Ryley Major at the 600-metre mark where he was left chasing from the top of the home straight.
- TAURISI
Trainer – driver: Todd Rattray
Hasn’t won a race since winning a heat of the Tassie Golden Apple last season. From his second-row draw in his heat, Todd Rattray was able to position the pacer one-out and one back when finishing fifth. His trainer-driver Todd Rattray won the inaugural Tassie Golden Apple last season with Harjeet.
- BLACK CENTURIAN (10m)
Trainer: Steve Davis
Driver: Gareth Rattray
Began cleanly from his 10-metre handicap in his heat where he sat four-back along the marker pegs. Gareth Rattray got him into the clear at the top off the straight where he finished off strongly out wide in the home straight. The gelding has won 18 races including 2019 Scottsdale and St Marys Cup, 2017 Carrick Cup, 2015 Ulverstone Cup and 2015 St Marys Cup.
- JACCKA LEN (10m)
Trainer: Deborah Williams
Driver: Hannah Van Dongen
Ended up one-out and four-back and made his run out three and four wide from the 500-metre mark where he was fair late. He has had 16 standing start races where he has managed two minor placings. His last win was in Devonport four starts ago where he overcame a second row draw to score against moderate opposition to what he meets here.
- JEANS MATTJESTY (10m)
Trainer – driver: Conor Crook
Won a standing start claimer off a 20-metre handicap in Hobart on 8 December where Conor Crook claimed the pacer. The 11-year-old gelding has won 30 of his 225 starts with 13 of those wins being in standing start races. He enjoyed a lovely run in the running line in his heat where he was just able to scrape through to the final and he is one of the outsiders of the field.
- STAR CHAMBER (Emg, 20m)
Trainer: Bianca Heenan
Driver: Christian Salter
Has done an outstanding job in his career including the 2018 Brighton Cup, 2018 Governors Cup, 2015 City Of Launceston Cup, 2015 Devonport and Hobart Cups, 2014 Tasmania Cup and 2014 Danbury Park Cup. He is still racing well as we saw with a win off a 20-metre handicap in Hobart four starts ago.
- RYLEY MAJOR
Trainer – driver: Rohan Hillier
Smashed the track record off his 30-metre handicap when winning his heat. His last half mile of 55.57s was the quickest of the meeting. He raced three-wide from the 700-metre mark and was simply awesome. He is very quick away and if Star Chamber failed to gain a start, he should get a good run through early with several horses that have shown brilliant standing start manners drawn close to the inside of the front and 10-metre rows. He is the best horse in the field but is hard to recommend an investment at a very short quote in a race where he needs an ounce of luck on his side.
- ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT
Trainer – driver: Troy Hillier
Recorded the second quickest last half mile of the heats in 55.67s, in a heat that was some 6.7s slower than the other heat which made it hard for him to get into the race. There looks to be plenty of speed early, but he has an added benefit as he will be able to be driven sit sprint style as he should be able to stalk Ryley Major every step of the way from the handicaps and should unwind strongly late. He is $9.00 at the time of writing and is a touch of overs in this field. He is one pacer that has ran Ryley Major down in the past when winning a heat of the Easter Cup last season.
Duncan Dornauf’s Top Four
12. Ryley Major – is the class runner of the field, he was simply awesome in his heat when breaking the track record with his 30-metre handicap, which is no easy task, he is too short for my liking but I keep coming back to him.
13. Illegal Immigrant – should get a good run into the race, after trying to make his run solo in his heat where he ended up getting forced very wide late, that race was dominated by those on speed.
1. Full Speed Ahead – will have admires and will be competitive from the draw, handy effort in his heat, the Marc Butler stable is going well of recent weeks.
2. Im Jaks Teller – could have put many pacers in for the fourth selection but he may be able to jump on the back of Full Speed Ahead and get a soft run and if that panned out then he should be included on all combination tickets.