The Tasmanian Summer Racing Carnival concluded on Wednesday with the Launceston Cup meeting showcasing many of the state’s stars in some of our biggest races. Up Cups completed the Cups double and took home the UBET bonus, Admiral completed a clean sweep of the WFA races with a second win in the George Adams Plate and Hot Dipped dispelled any doubts she was the best 2yo in the state with a dominant Gold Sovereign victory. The track was downgraded from a Good 4 to a Heavy 8 through the day but held up rather well as all races played generally true to form. Scott Brunton trained a treble to start the day before his father David took out the Cup, while Barry Campbell finished the day winning the last two races with Admiral and Treasury Bond. David Pires was the standout jockey riding all 4 Brunton winners and winning his first Launceston Cup, while Brendon McCoull also rode a double with Admiral in the George Adams and Gee Gee Red Prince in the 3yo Classic.
Race 1 12:55pm UBET Class 1 Handicap (1400m)
Box Of Frogs got favourite backers off to a flier with a most impressive victory in the first. David Pires gave him a lovely run at the leader’s girth on what was a plain tempo and when he asked him to go on the bend the race was all over. Times for the meeting aren’t of much use with the track deteriorating throughout the day but they don’t get run down when they run the fastest last 600m, 400m and 200m sectionals of the meeting. His past two starts have showed he is a horse with a ton of ability and being able to stretch his speed out to 1400m here suggests he has a fine career ahead.
Turtles Nest has been up a long time but was well supported in betting ($21 to $12) and ran right up to the support with a solid 2nd despite being no match for the winner. Slinky Malinky ran another good race in 3rd after racing on the fence, which may have been a disadvantage as jockeys tried to avoid it for much of the meeting. Beaufort Lad and Gee Gees Supreme both ran on well as they had at their previous start, and Quirribilly Lodge finished off well after being held up at vital times around the bend and may well have placed with clear running. Of the rest, Rougeau was reported as not handling the rain affected track while Noblecourt was found to be lame post-race.
Race 2 1:30pm Venarchie Contracting BM62 Handicap (2100m)
Electric Crimson was very good over 2400m at his last run prior to this and that genuine staying ability held him in good stead here as he won in dominant fashion. In a race run at a strong tempo thanks to the change of tactics with Sir Joey, David Pires was happy to sit 2nd before using the strength he had underneath to take control on turning and make it a true staying test. He came right away in the straight for an impressive and proved to be a class above these. He has been racing well and the BM72 level won’t be out of race over the staying trips.
Speckie didn’t pick the greatest day to try 2100m for the first time but was given a beautiful ride by Hayley McCarthy and he did a good job to hold down 2nd. He travelled into the race well on the bend but flattened out on his run in the straight. He may be better back to a mile but he showed enough to say 2100m isn’t beyond him either. Prominent Star ran on as he always does into 3rd spot, just ahead of Windell who ran quite a good race after being caught wide for much of the first half of the race. Sir Joey stuck on alright and Immortal Fire wasn’t hopeless but this is about their level.
Race 3 2:05pm Toll Tasmania Class 2 Handicap (1200m)
Step The Pedal has been very consistent since arriving in the state and appreciated the soft track to make it 2 wins in a row. Pires rode her perfectly from the inside gate, spending no petrol midfield before working away from the inside to challenge on turning and proving far too good in the run to the line. She has been able to settle a bit closer in the run at her last couple without affecting her big finish and that has been the difference to get her into the winning circle. She is still down in the ratings so has plenty of racing still to come and her liking for wet tracks should serve her well should she keep going through the next few months.
Nissky was a strong effort fresh on ground he is well performed on and hopefully he is getting back to his best after a bit of a flat campaign. He was there to challenge on the turn but his fitness may have just ran out the last bit on the testing ground. Seajamm raced right on speed and had the first 2 go straight past her on turning before finishing off her race alright for 3rd in what was a funny run, suggesting maybe she prefers the firmer ground. Nuclear Star ran home alright as he often does, while Luxembourg was held up behind the leaders on turning when the main players ran past him and wasn’t a bad run under the circumstances.
Race 4 2:40pm PFD Food Services 3yo Classic (1200m)
Gee Gee Red Prince had a bit against him here which explains the drift in betting from $2.30 to $2.90 but he went straight to the front and led all the way in what was a pretty dominant win. Brendon McCoull charted a perfect course around the middle of the track and he never looked like losing despite not looking overly comfortable in the ground. He continues to prove what an excellent sprinter he is and a mainland trip is now on the cards. There is no doubt he is up to metropolitan standard and he will be sure to have plenty of patriotic support behind him.
Gee Gees Jet had previously failed on wet ground but ran a pretty game race here to sit outside the winner and get within 3/4L of him on the line. I’m Wesley was truck loaded in the betting ($7 to $3.90) but was forced to race 3 wide outside the leaders and while he stuck at his task ok he lost touch on the bend and never looked a winning chance. Naadam went the other way in the market ($2.50 to $4.60) and ran accordingly, with the wet ground most likely the reason for his poor run.
Race 5 3:15pm Steve’s Liquor Gold Sovereign (1200m)
Hot Dipped was the only one punters wanted here ($1.65 to $1.48) and they had no cause of concern as she travelled to the leaders under a hold on turning and raced away for the easiest of wins. Muhcu positioned her just off the speed and when she took over on turning he made sure to look after her in the run to the line, easing her down to win by 2.5L. She has done a great job to win 3 in her first month of racing and also looks well up to mainland class should they find the right race for her. She’s a star, and the undisputed best 2yo in Tasmania.
Hussy’s Glow appeared suited by the rain after running a good race on a rain-affected track in her Adelaide start and while she ran well, she was nowhere near a good as the winner. She did beat the 3rd horse though who looked to be anything early on and will have lost no admirers. Gee Gee Double Dee weakened from the turn to run 3rd meaning she tasted defeat for the first time but it was reported she didn’t enjoy the ground. Not willing to give up on her easily and back on firm ground she can improve – just probably not enough to beat the favourite. Of the rest, debutant Life On The Wire was very good in running 4th despite the margin, while Mariah’s Magic was a total disappointment and her rider reported she didn’t handle the track conditions.
Race 6 3:50pm Launceston City Council Open Handicap (1200m)
Concrete Johnny was somewhat unwanted in betting ($4.20 out to $8.50) but that didn’t worry him as he recorded a personal best win in a slogging finish. The connections of this horse have done a great job to work out that his key advantage is his cruising speed and they are more than happy to use that up in front and lead by a big margin. On what had become a Soft 6 track, he ran an amazing 8L above the par time from jumping to the 400m mark, taking the sting out of his rivals as they tried to chase and then run home on what was now a very testing track. He was understandably paddling the last bit but he had landed the killer blow mid-race and he had just enough in hand to get the prize.
Minute Repeater came here with excellent first up stats including a 6th in last year’s Newmarket and he ran right up to that form with a very strong effort to chase the fast speed and only just miss. Volcanic Sky was another with very good fresh stats and also had the wet track form to boot, and she worked home well along the fence to run 3rd after being nibbled in betting from $201 into $126. The favourites Geegees Doublejay and Silver Bolt were disappointing, with the former labouring under the big weight at the end of a long preparation while the latter failing to handle the track and Boris Thornton reported he also may have come to the end of his prep.
Race 7 4:30pm Betfair Exchange Launceston Cup (2400m)
Up Cups did what the market didn’t think he could ($4.60 out to $8.50) and completed a fairytale Cups double with a tough, slogging effort here. It was another great ride from Pires who found a great spot midfield from the wide gate and put him into the race at the right time down the side and the son of Helike did the rest. He was challenged by the two Victorian raiders but beat off Schockemohle on straightening before holding off the fast-finishing Arianne late. He has become an amazing horse considering his well-documented background and training regime, always finding enough to win his past four starts and now looks set to continue to raise the bar with a trip to the mainland. Who says he can’t go up another level again?
Arianne was well supported late in betting, firming from $9.50 to $7 and ran accordingly, finishing hard late to only just miss. Incredibly ran the 16th fastest last 200m of the day despite being late in the day and over twice as far as many of the races earlier – no doubts on her staying ability! Schockemohle was very heavily backed ($12 to $5) and when he pushed through on turning he looked the winner but he couldn’t finish off as well as the other two and had to settle for 3rd. Gladstone ($15 to $10) was an excellent run in 4th coming off an interrupted preparation and he was clearly the best of the on-pacers, while the favourite Geegees Goldengirl was easy in betting ($3.90 to $4.80) and may have found the journey too far on the testing track, failing to finish off after enjoying a good run just behind the leaders.
Race 8 5:10pm UBET George Adams Plate (1600m)
Admiral completed his perfect WFA season as just about everyone expected, but the way it eventuated had everyone feeling a bit stunned immediately post race. He was given a lovely run just behind the speed as always by Brendon McCoull, but looked in all sorts of trouble when Miss It And A Bit cut the corner and was still 3 clear in the straight. Despite not really handling the wet ground, he called on all his champion qualities to dig deep and grab the leader right on the line in probably the toughest of his 14 victories. Punters acknowledged he might not have things his own way on the wet track and he drifted in betting from $1.20 to $1.50, but in the end his class came to the fore.
Miss It And A Bit gave a mighty sight in front, running along by herself as she loves to do and it was a daring ride by Sherry Barr to stick to the inside and pinch a break as the rest of the field went wide searching for better ground. It would have come off had she not run into a champion. She copped a check from the winner just before the line and Barr threw in a protest but it was dismissed rather quickly. Rose Of Innocence ran a great race into 3rd despite not having raced for 7 weeks and managed to match Admiral’s last 400m. Connections of both placegetters would be delighted their mares were able to grab some black type here. Powercharged ran a reasonable race but the wet track and/or the longer trip dulled his big finish, while Perplexing was quite disappointing after being very well supported on her preferred wet going ($21 to $9.50).
Race 9 5:50pm Coates Hire BM72 Handicap (1400m)
Treasury Bond pulled off a bit of a plunge in the last, firming from $11 to $6.50 and he looked the winner throughout thanks to a very positive Kyle Maskiell ride. Rather than ride for the sit as they had been doing lately, Maskiell made his plans clear early to take up the running in front and he basically ran them into the ground, skipping away on the bend and having enough in hand to win comfortably. He has always shown plenty of promise after winning his first two starts but this was his first win since after racing in some good company. His ability to race on speed and handle the wet (as well as Tapeta) means he can find plenty of suitable races and he looks a horse who can race his way to Open grade.
Into The Wind enjoys wet tracks and ran well here, running on strongly at the finish after being unable to match the winner’s acceleration around the bend. She’s trending the right way this prep and is ready to step up in distance and show her best. O’Reillys Geegee had a pleasing return to form in 3rd, while Van Diemens Fire ran well enough down on the inside in a return to his favourite conditions. Race favourite Magnacash was clearly in a lot of trouble just 400m into the race with Muhcu urging her along and she did not handle the wet track at any stage, finishing a long last.