FORMER Tasmanian Derby winner Geegees Blackflash caused a boilover at The TOTE Racing Centre in Launceston last night where he powered his way to an impressive win in the $90,000 Listed Country Club Tasmania Newmarket Handicap (1200m).
With Victorian jockey Peter Mertens in the saddle, Geegees Blackflash rattled home along the rails to outgun last season’s top three-year-old Socks with race leader Punctuate a game third with the winner starting at odds of 20/1
Geegees Blackflash is trained by John Luttrell at Brighton and he was ecstatic after the win.
“This horse is an absolute ripper – the best I’ve trained,” Luttrell said.
“His work leading up to this race has been exceptional and after he galloped last Saturday I was confident he would be a big chance in this race.”
“He will go from strength to strength now and if everything pans out as we hope he’ll contest the major cups,” he said.
Geegees Blackflash suffered a bleeding attack last season during trackwork that led to him missing much of his four-year-old season.
But Luttrell has been careful not to over tax the gelding and he will adopt the same approach this season.
The gelded son of Clangalang-La Quita is owned and raced by the state’s most prominent thoroughbred owners Paul and Elizabeth Geard who also were thrilled with the win.
“John (Luttrell) has done a great job with this horse and if this is an indication of what he’s capable of over 1200 metres we can hardly wait until he gets out to a more suitable distance later in the season,” Paul Geard said.
It was a typical Newmarket contest with some rough stages, in particular 500m out when most of the main contenders were making their runs.
There will be a few hard luck stories but at the end of the day the record books will tell us that Geegees Blackflash emerged triumphant in a keenly contested race.