In Brief
- Chaser out of retirement is early fave in Maiden heat
- Countdown to the Devonport Chase continues.
- Set the alarm, first race at 11:22.
We are seven days out from heats of the Group 3 Ladbrokes Devonport Chase, and a number of the key local hopes contest various races across Tuesday’s 10-race card in Devonport.
The meeting also features three heats of the Crown Lager Tasbred Maiden Series where Nitro Augie resumes from a long break in the second-heat, which is race five on the card.
The Brindle dog is out of the Dyna Double One – Dominator Girl litter that was whelped in July 2017, making the chaser a littermate to Nitro Sambar (winner of 17 races), I’m A Dominator (14 wins) and Sol Domination (four wins).
Nitro Augie has only had the one start which was back in March when well defeated in last place where he got knocked soon after the start.
“He had a few bad injuries when he was younger, and he wasn’t going that good, so I decided to retire him,” explained trainer Paul Hili.
The chaser was on the GAP list before the trainer elected to give the chaser another go.
“I ended up listing him with GAP, I was breaking in some young pups, and I needed something to help them get going. I ended up trialling him and he went the quickest of the day, so I put him back in work,” explained the owner-trainer.
Nitro Augie went around in a steward’s trial in Launceston on 12 October recording a time of 16.24 for the 278-metre trip, which was quicker than two grade four races that night.
“I gave him a few trials since and he has gone well and everything is holding up,” said Hili.
The main danger in the market and according to Hili, is the Butch Deverell-trained debutante Captain Tom from box five.
“Butch wouldn’t have it if it was hopeless, so it is obviously the danger,” said Hili.
As far as box seven goes with Nitro Augie the trainer-owner isn’t overly concerned.
“I was hoping for one or eight, so seven isn’t too bad, he hasn’t got a lot of early speed but he is pretty strong, so in this field I’m hoping he can settle in the first three and be running over the top of them in the straight.
“He has gone around dogs in trials I have given him from out wide, so there isn’t much to worry about there,” explained Hili.
The other two heats are races four and six on today’s card that starts at the early time of 11:22.
Gold Collar Final
On Monday night in Launceston talented youngster Recall bounced back into the winner’s list in the Simon’s Carpet One Gold Collar.
The Jack Jury-trained chaser found the front entering the back straight and pulled away to defeat Parkour by seven-lengths in 29.64s.
Leading trainer Anthony Bullock had a night out training five winners on the 10-race card.
In Hobart Thousand news, connections of Saturday nights Wentworth Park winner Fire Legend have confirmed they have a flight booked to contest heats of the Thousand on 10 December, and they aren’t concerned with the chaser looking at the Hobart track unseen in the heats, given the chaser had near-record times at his first look at tracks similar to Hobart in Ballarat and Horsham.
The Mark Moroney bred, owned, and trained chaser recorded the best time of the night in 29.74s for the 520-metre trip.
Watch Recall take out the Gold Collar in Launceston on Monday night.