In Brief
- Only two starters from Hobart Cup missing from nominations.
- Home by Midnight likely to be top weight again.
- Derby winner a surprise nomination.
10 of the 12 starters from the Ladbrokes Hobart Cup are among the 18 nominations for next Wednesday’s $250,000 Group 3 Ladbrokes Launceston Cup.
Despite Tasmanian trained horses filling the first three placings in the Hobart Cup, the likes of Taikomochi, Home by Midnight, Morton’s Fork and Dogmatic are again among the interstate nominations looking to improve on their Hobart performances.
The Chris Waller-trained Naval Warfare was nominated for the Hobart Cup before failing to accept and the six-year-gelding has his hat in the ring again for a Cup start and is the most high profile among those that didn’t face the starter in Hobart.
Scott Brunton has nominated recent Tasmanian Derby winner Vamos Raffa who will add some intrigue to the race if the three-year-old is a final acceptor.
While ratings adjustments are yet to be finalised from the Hobart Cup, Home by Midnight will be likely to carry top weight again having entered Hobart with a rating of 102 with the winner Toorak Affair to be penalised on her rating of 92.
If Toorak Affair wins next Wednesday’s race, the $100,000 Ladbrokes Double Cups bonus to be split 50/50 between the owners and trainer Michael Trinder will be hers, a prize that went off last year courtesy of Eastender.
Acceptances for the 10-race program will be finalised on Friday morning with the barrier draw for the Cup to take place at the Ladbrokes Racing Centre in Launceston on Friday night.
View the full list of nomination for Ladbrokes Launceston Cup Day here.