In Brief
- Group 3 feature tonight at the Devonport Showgrounds.
- Past cup winner at peak fitness.
- Illegal Immigrant the Cup fav for the second year in a row.
The Group 3 Hardings Hotmix Devonport Pacing Cup is the feature event on tonight’s eight-race card at the Devonport Showgrounds.
Pachacuti is a past winner of the race in 2017 (pictured) when starting from a 30-metre handicap and is one of the chances in an open cup field tonight.
The gelded son of Bettors Delight recently arrived back in the state after spending the last two seasons of racing competitively at Menangle in New South Wales.
His last start at Menangle was on 20 July and wasn’t seen until 5 January when second in a 2200 metre standing start race in Launceston where he was defeated 4.8-metres after starting off a 20-metre handicap where trainer-driver Todd Rattray was pleased with the run.
However, he was disappointed with the pacers next start in Devonport when finishing sixth over the 2645 metre trip.
“His first run was good, I wasn’t too happy with his last start,” said Rattray.
Pachacuti didn’t have a trial before his first-up effort and the pacer should be at his peak fitness after two runs at open class company.
“He has done a lot of work now, so hopefully he is ready to rumble,” Rattray said.
“I have changed a little bit of gear on him so hopefully he is right for this week,” added the trainer.
That piece of gear is the removal of a shadow roll as listed in the official gear changes.
A past winner of the race can fill punters with a bit of confidence knowing that the pacer will run the 3020-metre trip out with a few of his rivals yet to be tested or proven at the distance of the race.
“He is more of a stayer than a sprinter so hopefully they run along,” said the Longford based trainer.
Pachacuti has been backed in from $7.50 into $6.00 with Ladbrokes at the time of writing.
Illegal Immigrant who was the beaten favourite in the race last year sits at the top of the market at $4.40, he and Pachacuti are the only two handicapped runners in the race this year off 10 metres.
Other runners in the market include the Victorian trained Smart Little Shard at $5.50, Im Jaks Teller at $6,00, Full Speed Ahead at $8.00 with Dasher Houli and Ideal World the only other runners in single figures at $9.00.
You can view a runner by runner preview on the cup field by clicking here.
Tonight’s Devonport card will be shown on Sky Racing 1 and there will be a hosted live stream on TasracingTV.
The Cup is scheduled to start at 20:42 with the first race to jump at 18:03.
Watch Pachacuti finish second in Launceston on 5 January: