After two luckless runs since a break, trainers Leanne and Clinton Gaffney are entitled to think the tide is due to turn for their four-year-old mare Hoffsetter at Devonport on Sunday.
Hoffsetter, a daughter of group 1 winner Bon Hoffa, has had eight runs since joining the Gaffney stable from Victoria and has been runner-up four times.
With better luck in running, the mare could arguably have won her past two starts.
She was having her first run for two months when a close second to Questions at Spreyton on March 28. An early check saw her settle second-last before flashing home to be beaten narrowly.
The breaks didn’t go her way again at the same track a fortnight ago when she went back from a wide barrier to sit at the rear of the field then had trouble getting a clear run at the top of the straight.
She powered home late to go down by a head to Total Control who came from a similar position and got a split closer to the rail.
Hoffsetter is clearly looking for more ground but, with no 1350-metre maiden on Sunday’s program, she has to stay at 1175m for the third start in a row.
The Gaffneys also have a good chance of winning the Benchmark 72 Handicap with the in-form King’s Spirit.
The talented five-year-old was having only his second start for his new stable when he stormed home from near-last to win in the same grade a fortnight ago.
He goes up slightly in weight this week but it may not be enough to stop him.
King’s Spirit was previously trained by Mark Ganderton who guided the Bel Esprit gelding to three wins and six placings from his first nine Tasmanian starts.
Story and picture from Greg Mansfield (Examiner)