In Brief
- New Norfolk Cup to be staged in Hobart for the fifth consecutive year.
- Finn Mac Kee and Im Jaks Teller out to take the cup back to the Derwent Valley
- Matron Stakes, E C Plunkett Memorial and Toreace Flying Mile ensure a great days racing.
New Norfolk trainer Thomas Jackson will be hoping he can claim his home town cup on Sunday afternoon when Finn Mac Kee lines up in the $12,000 Top Of The Town Bakery New Norfolk Pacing Cup in Hobart.
Finn Mac Kee comes into the race after winning two of his last five starts including his most recent effort in Hobart on 12 January where he raced in the back half of the field before racing wide from the 750-metre mark.
The gelded son of Stonebridge Regal was five-wide at the top of the home straight where he showed a good turn off foot to score by 3.9 metres.
“It was a great run last start, he had been very unlucky the three starts prior,” said trainer Thomas Jackson about the win and has been happy with the gelding’s work since.
“He has been working absolutely beautiful of late,” he said.
The 3060-metre trip is the longest race in Tasmania this season and Jackson was very bullish when asked how Finn Mac Kee will handle the long trip.
“He will love it,” was his quick response.
“I can’t recall him not bringing home a cheque when he has raced over the longer trip,” Jackson explained.
Finn Mac Kee faces a 10-metre handicap in the New Norfolk Cup where he will be driven by Paul Hill who has driven the pacer to eight of his 11 wins.
“I would love to win my hometown cup, I came close with Mister Gallenti one year where he was a big run after being checked soon after the start,” said Jackson.
“I have my own track that I have trained on for 37-years for all my jog work and I do all my fast work on the New Norfolk track which is five minutes down the road,” added the trainer.
Im Jaks Teller, another New Norfolk local trained pacer looks the one to beat with another New Norfolk local, Ricky Duggan to take the reins.
The Juanita McKenzie-trained pacer shares the 20 metre back mark with Perfect Mach and St Marys Cup winner Koolaz Elvis in a race of many chances.
There are another three feature races on the card.
The Art Meeker Memorial Matron Stakes sees last year’s runner up El Jays Mystery very well placed off the front row, the Dick Eaves trained mare has been proven at the longer distance while the jury is still out on the two ten-metre handicap runners including Still Hungover who is first up from a spell and is yet to win a race outside of her own age group.
The E C Plunkett Memorial sees a lot of progressive talent across the field including last season’s star two-year-old Kohanah starting from the pole, The Shallows who is looking for his sixth win in a row and a number of last start winners including Boss Major, Streetside Classic, Soho Senna, Frostyflyer and Wattabout Spangher.
The last of the features is the Toreace Flying Mile where Ryley Major draws outside of the front row and looks set to continue on his winning way with the pacer classy enough to handle whatever trainer-driver Rohan Hillier chooses to do in the early stages.
Watch Ryley Major defeat Izaha and New Norfolk Cup hopeful Im Jaks Teller on 12 January: