The 2015 edition of the time honoured Easter Cup commences at Launceston on Sunday night. First conducted in 1917, the victors include Inter Dominion winners Logan Derby (1938), Chamfers Star (1964) and Thorate (1989) and many outstanding Australian pacers such as Golden Alley (1967 and 1968), Quite Famous (1987), My Lightning Blue (1988), Franco Tiger (1991) and Halyer (1992).
Two $8,000 heats on Sunday night will determine the 14 horses to contest the $40,000 final at Launceston on 5 April. The first is Race 6 where the defending champion Motu Crusader (N9) comes off 40 metres, the same mark he won from last year. After last years win, Motu Crusader won the $10,000 Tattsbet Elite at Hobart in early May before going for a long spell.
Motu Crusader has been winless at eight starts this preparation but has finished a close second to Ardlussa Express, Our Chain Of Command and Truly Blissfull at his last three starts in mobiles. On handicaps, Ardlussa Express (N3) is a big danger to Motu Crusader as he will start off the front mark after defeating Motu Crusader in a mobile start race, the Governors Cup, at Hobart last Sunday. Whodeani (N1), Riverboat Jasper (N4), The Majority (N5) and Dodgermate (N8) are all off the front mark and should qualify for the final.
Race 8 is the second heat and Star Chamber (N8 30 metres) looks set to continue his dominance of Tasmanian open class racing. The Nathan Ford trained and driven 6YO is going for a clean sweep of the four big races in Tasmania having already collected the $40,000 Tasmania Cup, the $20,000 Hobart Pacing Cup and the $25,000 Devonport Cup.
While Star Chamber is on the same handicap as he encountered at Devonport, the front line has been strengthened with Truly Blissfull (N1), Rule Like A King (N2) and Outrageous El (N4) all capable of causing an upset. Truly Blissfull must be respected as he is a dual track record holder at Launceston and both have been established in the last seven weeks. Truly Blissfull rated 1:59.8 winning a 2200 metre standing start on 8 February and the 8YO gelding rated 1:55.2 winning a 1680 metre mobile on 1 March.
Rule Like A King and Outrageous El are both lightly raced Ex New Zealanders having their first start in open company on the back of excellent race form in Victoria. Rule Like A King has been off the scene for 17 months. The (now) 5YO gelding won eight times and was second twice from 10 starts before a fifth placing in the $50,000 Melton Plate. Rule Like A King is now trained by Rohan Hillier.
Outrageous El won four on end in Tasmania last season culminating in a 2014 Tasmanian Derby victory. The 4YO Adam Kelly trained gelding has an imposing Australian race record of 16 – 7 – 6 – 2 with his only unplaced run being a fifth placing in the $30,000 Tontine Pacers Final (C2/C4) at Ballarat on 22 February 2015.