Tasracing

THE Trinder family is synonymous with thoroughbred racing in Tasmania and while various members of the North-West Coast-based family have tasted success in most feature races, the Hobart Cup is one that has eluded them.

At Elwick on Sunday quality mare Toorak Affair has the chance to solve that anomaly and punters are starting to warm to the Michael Trinder-trained six-year-old with her price forming from $4 to $3.90.

Toorak Affair won the Brighton Cup by five lengths over 2100m in Launceston three weeks ago and last Saturday she blitzed her rivals in the weight-for-age Summer Cup over 2200m winning eased down by almost three lengths.

“The mare’s form has been great leading up to this race and believe it or not her work this week has been sensational and I’d say she has improved two to three lengths on what she did last Saturday.”

If Trinder’s assessment is right, then Toorak Affair is Tasmania’s best chance to keep the lion’s share of the prizemoney in the state.

The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Taikomochi looms as the best of the interstate invaders with his last-start win in the Australia Day Cup at Warwick Farm good enough form to arrant him starting favourite.

Last season’s Tasmanian Oaks winner Shady Hustle was second to Toorak Affair in the Brighton Cup at her most recent outing but she had a solid track gallop after the last race at Elwick last Saturday.

Home by Midnight has been solid in betting at $7.50 but once punters analyse his NZ form his price is likely to shorten on race day.

Latest market:

$3.80 Taikomochi.

$3.90 Toorak Affair.

$5 Dogmatic.

$7.50 Home by Midnight, Morton’s Fork.

$14 Glass Warrior.

$15 Shady Hustle.

$26 Gee Gee Fiorente.

$31 Exoteric.

$35 He Ekscels.

$61 Appmat.

$81 Kanji.

Watch Toorak Affair score an emphatic Summer Cup win at Elwick last Saturday.