In Brief
- Trainer impressed from moment Akureyri stepped foot in his stables.
- Mare has worked brilliantly leading up to this assignment.
- Hamer also expects forward showing from his other three starters.
Trainer Rowan Hamer is confident his four-year-old Akureyri can keep her unbeaten record intact in Devonport on Sunday.
Akureyri (Needs Further-Twilight Belle) made her debut in Devonport three weeks ago and gave a dashing display to trail the leader to the home turn before bursting clear to score an emphatic win.
Hamer will saddle up four of his sable tenants that also includes Date Night in the class three handicap over 1009m (race 1), Braccenby in a benchmark 66 (race 5) and Aspirate in the open handicap over 1350m (race 6) but he is adamant Akureyri is his best winning chance.
“Akureyri has impressed me from day one and she has continued to improve through the preparation and her trackwork this week has been exceptional.”
Akureyri lines up as top weight with 58kg in race eight, the class one handicap over 1150m.
Hamer’s Devonport Cup hope Aspirate resumes from a three-month spell and while the trainer says it is a hard first-up assignment he believes the gelding is capable of winning.
“Aspirate has been in work for over three months and is fit enough but I wanted to trial him over 1350m before this race, but I could only get him into an 800m trial.
“Siggy (Carr) came up to ride him and she said he felt great and that was pleasing.
“If he gets all the favours, he can win but I’d be happy if he was the one working home hard at the end.”
“Braccenby has a lot of weight, even with Peter Lui’s three kilogram claim (62.5kg) but he is racing well and will give it a shake.
“Date Night has found the right race, so if apprentice Tomas Doyle can put him in a good spot early then he will make his presence felt.”
Watch Akureyri score an impressive win on debut in Devonport three weeks ago.