Tasracing

Contenders for the 2020 Ladbrokes Hobart Cup on 9 February will become clearer on Saturday night after the running of the Steve’s Liquor Brighton Cup which affords the winner ballot-free entry.

The race, which is traditionally run in Hobart, has attracted a field of 13 which includes last year’s winner, the Brendon McShane-trained Appmat.

Due to a shortage of suitable races, Appmat campaigned in Victoria with Allison Bennett for four races, the highlight being a third at Moonee Valley over 2040 metres at the big price of $71.00. He returns to that state looking to improve on his third placing in the 2019 Hobart Cup where he was brave racing on-speed in a race dominated by those coming off the pace.

The winner of the Tasmanian Oaks as a three-year-old, Shady Hustle is on a Cups path, and things look to be firmly on track after a dominant win in benchmark 74 company last start. The four-year-old mare drops 5kg from that outing, with the top-weight in the race carried by the Bill Ryan-trained Speed Force who will carry 61kg, 5kg more than any other runner.

Speed Force encountered a similar weight situation last start in the Devonport Cup when he was typically honest finishing third behind the talented Newhart. The weight looks a big ask, but as the winner of 10 races at the track, it would take a brave person to write the seven-year-old off.

Among the nominations for the race was the All-Star Mile nominated Mandela Effect, but the stable has advised that a campaign to that race will go via the Thomas Lyons (1400m) and Mowbray Stakes (1600m) rather than the major Cups this year.

The feature of the night is the Listed Kevin Sharkie Launceston Guineas, which will see another of Bill Ryan’s horses, Still A Star, a short-price favourite.

The filly is the only female in the race but put the boys away with relative ease winning the Ladbrokes Tasmanian Guineas over 1600 metres last start. The way she won that race convinced Ryan to bypass the Thousand Guineas (this Wednesday night) in favour of the more lucrative feature.

“The way she finished it off to win the Tasmanian Guineas against the boys tells me she is ready,” said Ryan.

“I am sure she is ready to step up in distance and while the 2100m is definitely a query, she gives me every impression that she will handle it”.

Of the field of 12, only one runner, Dixie’s Boy, has run at or past the Guineas distance of 2100 metres.

The Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott stable have brought Superhombre down for the race, looking to repeat their win from three years ago in the race which was then the Hobart Guineas with Northwest Passage.

The gelding brings moderate form into the race, but the stable certainly warrant respect any time they venture on to Tasmanian shores.

Watch the replay of Still A Star winning the Ladbrokes Launceston Guineas last start.