IGGIMACOOL delivered the message her trainer Bill Ryan was seeking when she powered home to win the $100,000 Kevin Sharkie weight-for-age Tasmanian Stakes over 1600 metres in Launceston last night.
It was a race expected to celebrate a milestone for Tasmania’s cult hero Geegees Blackflash as a win or second place would have made him an equine millionaire.
Iggimacool was snagged out to last in the field of six while Jakcorijim made play in front with Geegees Blackflash settled second and Pitt Street trailing third.
But with a dawdling pace, Pitt Street’s rider Bulent Muhcu was the first to get things moving when he urged his charge forward to take up the running.
Geegees Blackflash was asked to extend turning for home and the gallant eight-year-old staked his claim but he was unable to answer the challenge of Iggimacool that loomed at the 200-metre mark as if she had just joined the race.
Banca Mo also staked his claim and worked home well but Iggimacool had a half-length to spare from Banca Mo on the line with Geegees Blackflash only a nose astern.
In running third Geegees Blackflash earned $9000 in stakes to leave him just $4450 shy of giving him $1 million in prize money.
Iggimacool is heading to the major cups and Ryan was ecstatic with the four-year-old mare’s effort to win.
“We went into this race with a plan to snag her out to last and save her for a sweeping run at the end and that’s how it panned out,” Ryan said.
“This race was always going to be a lead-up for her major cups campaign so winning is a bonus.”
“She will go to either the Summer Cup or Jockey Club Cup in Hobart and then onto the Hobart Cup with the Launceston Cup her final target this campaign,” he said.
Iggimacool was last season’s 3YO of the year after winning the Thousand Guineas (1600m) and the Tasmanian Oaks (2100m).
“We won’t see the best of this mare until she gets over 2100 metres,” McCoull said.
“Winning this race is a real bonus and if she improves, as I expect she will over more ground, she will be very competitive in the major cups,” he said.