A SATISFACTORY track gallop tomorrow will determine whether AAMI Hobart Cup winner Hurdy Gurdy Man returns to tackle the Launceston Cup next week.
Hurdy Gurdy Man carried the minimum of 54 kg to victory in Hobart for which he received a two kilogram penalty for the Group 3 $225,000 AAMI Launceston Cup (2400m) but his trainer Darren Weir did appear fazed by the penalty.
“Provided the horse emerges from a strong gallop at home on Thursday in good order he will be back for the Launceston Cup,” Weir said.
Hurdy Gurdy Man is chasing the $100,000 Tattsbet Cups Double Bonus that is on offer to any horse than can win the AAMI Hobart and Launceston Cups in the same season of which the trainer and owner will each receive $50,000.
Weir says the entire recovered well from his Hobart Cup mission and has since thrived at the trainer’s Warrnambool training complex.
Local star Geegees Blackflash is top weight with 59.5 kg while his Tasmanian archrival The Cleaner has 57.5 kg along with the Anthony Cummings-trained Shadows In The Sun and Shewan from the Robert Smerdon stable.
The weights for the AAMI Launceston Cup were released yesterday:
| AAMI Launceston Cup (2400 METRES) |
| Of $225,000.1st $135,000, 2nd $40,500, 3rd $20,250, 4th $10,125, 5th $5,625, 6th $4,500, 7th $4,500, 8th $4,500 GROUP 3 Handicap, Minimum Weight 54kg, Apprentices cannot claim.Field Limit: 16 + 5 EM |
| Horse | Trainer | Ballot | Weight | Penalty | Hcp Rating | |
| 1 | GEEGEES BLACKFLASH | John Luttrell | 2 | 59.5kg | 103 | |
| 2 | SHADOWS IN THE SUN | Anthony Cummings | 3 | 57.5kg | 99 | |
| 3 | SHEWAN | Robert Smerdon | 5 | 57.5kg | 99 | |
| 4 | THE CLEANER | Mick Burles | 4 | 57.5kg | 99 | |
| 5 | IRONSTEIN | Gerald Ryan | 6 | 57kg | 98 | |
| 6 | HURDY GURDY MAN | Darren Weir | 8 | 56kg | 96 | |
| 7 | NORSQUI | Walter McShane | 9 | 56kg | 96 | |
| 8 | PELICANO | Tony McEvoy | 7 | 56kg | 96 | |
| 9 | DREAM PEDLAR | Troy Blacker | 10 | 55.5kg | 95 | |
| 10 | BID SPOTTER | Toby Edmonds | 12 | 55kg | 94 | |
| 11 | FIELDMASTER (NZ) | Patrick Payne | 11 | 55kg | 94 | |
| 12 | CATWEN BOY | Mark Ganderton | 16 | 54kg | 84 | |
| 13 | DIAMONDS AT NOON | Bill Cerchi | 23 | 54kg | 74 | |
| 14 | GEE GEE’S LA QUITA | Stuart Gandy | 17 | 54kg | 82 | |
| 15 | KUTCHINSKY | Danny O’Brien | 13 | 54kg | 88 | |
| 16 | LUCKY ANGEL | Tony Vasil | 14 | 54kg | 87 | |
| 17 | NEIL’S GOLD | Angela Brakey | 25 | 54kg | 71 | |
| 18 | OLLIE’S GOLD | Gary White | 22 | 54kg | 74 | |
| 19 | PACKEDTOTHERAFTERS | Adam Trinder | 26 | 54kg | 62 | |
| 20 | READINGS | David Hayes | 19 | 54kg | 80 | |
| 21 | RICHOMAN | Mark Ganderton | 24 | 54kg | 73 | |
| 22 | ROCK ROBSTER | David Hayes | 21 | 54kg | 78 | |
| 23 | SANDEEP | Kerrie Mccarthy | 20 | 54kg | 79 | |
| 24 | TEMAJIM | Michael Trinder | 18 | 54kg | 81 | |
| 25 | UNOAKED (NZ) | Leon Wells | 1 | 54kg | 84 | |
| 26 | ZLATAN | Leigh Childs | 15 | 54kg | 86 |