Tasracing

The track

Gee Gee Goldenlass (Siggy Carr) flashes down the outside fence to win a class one in Hobart on 21 June.

The worst of the rain forecast didn’t arrive which meant the track raced as a Soft 5 but beaten margins and the pattern throughout the day suggested a heavier rating than 5.

The inside part of the track was avoided by most riders and certainly the outside rail was the preferred ground in the home straight.

It was a surprise to see the track race in this fashion without a race meeting in over three months and it may pay to excuse many of the beaten performances from this program.

The winners

1100m

Race 5 (3YO Maiden) – Stefanidi 1:08.18

Race 4 (2YO Maiden) – Swingin’ George 1:08.23

Race 8 (Class 1) – Gee Gee Goldenlass 1:08.30

1200m 

Swingin’ George wins a 2YO maiden in Hobart.

Race 3 (Open Hcp) – Apriano 1:13.58

Race 7 (Benchmark 60) – Little River Boy 1:14.69

Race 1 (Maiden) – Costero 1:14.70

Race 2 (Maiden) – Hezredhot 1:14.75

1400m

Race 6 (Benchmark 66) – Born Magic 1:29.60

Race summaries

Race 1 – After being slow out Carolina Et Vite ($2.60F) drove through to lead and was joined by GeeGee Libys Clang ($31.00) with that pair stretching the field out and setting the race up for those off the speed. Costero ($15.00) was the beneficiary as a horse that will be better over further than 1200m, he was strongest late and a soft winner on the line. Runaway Girl ($3.20) had good support at her first run for the new stable but was left in front a long way from home and a sitting shot late. Her stablemate Olympic Honour ($6.50) was good from well back in the field and is another that will appreciate more ground.

Hezredhot (Siggy Carr) wins a maiden in Hobart on Sunday.

Race 2 – Siggy Carr quickly atoned for having the beaten favourite in the first race, scoring with Hezredhot ($2.80F). Off a pair of nice trials, he was well found in the market but had to do it at both ends after not having things his own way on speed. The tempo here didn’t look as fast as the earlier maiden but the overall times were almost identical. Orange Roughie ($3.20) has been a one paced stayer in his career so far but the market suggested he would run a race first-up at 1200m and that’s exactly what happened. Lucky Lil ($7.50) raced towards the outside fence in the back straight, reminiscent of the old Hobart track and as a result raced without cover throughout. She showed a lot more here than she had for the previous stable and was clearly the run of the race outside the winner.

Race 3 – Apriano ($5.00) was well backed from $7.50 and longer to lead all the way. With the run under his belt seven days ago and a big drop in weight, it was no great surprise to see the market find him and he had enough in reserve to hold off the favourite Ruettiger ($1.90). 200m from home the favourite looked as though he would go straight past the leader but a 5kg swing may have told the difference late. In the small field the performance of The Master Speed ($4.80) can perhaps be excused who wasn’t suited racing off the pace.

Race 4 – The first two across the line settled second last and last early. Swingin’ George ($5.50) had been tested against the better two-year-olds in his short career and appreciated the drop to maiden grade with a good ride from Daniel Ganderton. From well back Ganderton plotted a way around the field and got to the outside in the straight as most riders seemed to want to do through the day. Look to the Future ($6.50) was an eyecatcher on debut running on well from last and Fighting Floyd ($18.00) was another debutant whose performance had plenty of merit as the best of those racing towards the speed. The market had things very wrong with Lago Approach ($3.80F) who was backed in from $6 and perhaps didn’t handle the conditions to finish last.

Stefanidi (Ianish Luximon) eased down to win a maiden in Hobart on Sunday.

Race 5 – Ianish Luximon defied the pattern of the day, sticking towards the inside on Stefanidi ($5.00). Drawing gate one for the second week in a row, the tactics on Sunday were vastly different from those in Launceston and given the margin on the line credit goes to the young apprentice for riding against the pattern for much of the day. Golden Egg ($13.00) and Fromthenevernever ($7.50) sat first and second in the run and gave plenty of cheek to round out the trifecta. Golden Egg looks a nice addition for John Blacker with most of her form over further. The first four put a space on the rest with Hot Wired ($8.50) rounding the field and charging home for fourth with a nice run.

Race 6 – Born Magic ($3.00) put the writing on the wall in Launceston and went one better on Sunday with Georgie Catania on-board. The horse likes to roll along on speed, but Catania had company throughout from Silver Road ($7.50) with that pair controlling the race from the front. In this grade in particular, racing towards the front is often favoured and I’d expect this pair to continue to be close to the mark. Stormont ($7.50) was slow out which made things tough given the way the race was run but ran very well to get into third, racing hard up against the outside fence in the home straight.

Race 7 – Little River Boy ($4.00) replicated his trial form with a front running display and landed some bets, backed in from $5.50. Troy Baker brought up a double with both winners coming for John Luttrell who did a good job to have the horse fit enough to lead all the way first-up. Queen’s Needs ($12.00) was the best of those coming from off the pace to run second, sticking towards the inside. The overall time was only fractionally quicker than the two maidens to start the day, but the track certainly didn’t improve as the day went on.

Little River Boy (Troy Baker) winning in Hobart on Sunday.

Race 8 – Arguably the most impressive win was saved for the last with Gee Gee Goldenlass ($6.50) powering away for a win by over three-lengths. A two-year-old she was taking on the older horses for the first name and gave a tick to the strength of that juvenile form aided by a gun ride from Siggy Carr. Siggy saved ground through the run and peeled to the outside in the home straight and had the race in her keeping a long way from home. Newts ($9.00) and Kuroset ($11.00) rounded out the trifecta and along with the winner were the three widest runners in the home straight. Kuroset had the fastest last 400m of the race by a fair margin. Audrey ($5.00) raced wide without cover throughout and had some excuses as did Oh So Needy ($41.00) who missed the start a long way but ran on well from there. Ascot Lad ($4.60F) dropped out to finish last with the stewards report revealing a heart irregularity.

FORMPLUS Black Bookers

• Hot Wired – Liked the way he finished the race off after covering ground in the run.
• Kuroset – Nice return after impressing in a maiden win prior to the racing shutdown.

Watch the replay of Kuroset running third to Gee Gee Goldenlass in the last race.