THE strength of Tasmanian two-year-old racing can be best judged by the number of youngsters being readied to line up in the first race of the season.
Of the 19 nominated for the season opener at Tattersall’s Park in Hobart on Sunday 16 accepted which led to the race being divided leaving a field of eight in each division.
Trial form is usually the best guide and from what was revealed in five trials in Hobart and Devonport recently both races should provide plenty of action.
The highly promising Concrete Johnny (God’s Own-El Milagro) is likely to start favourite in the first division (Race 1) on the strength of his impressive trial win over 800 metres last Monday week.
He stopped the clock at 50.73 on a dead 5 rated track and scored by almost seven lengths with his race rider Siggy Carr aboard.
Concrete Johnny is a full brother to one of last season’s better two-year-olds Inner Warrior that capped his juvenile season by easily winning the Sires Produce Stakes.
Based on times the two-year-olds that trialled at Devonport last Tuesday week on the synthetic, which was rated a good 3, the Devonport-trained youngsters might have an edge.
But Sunday’s race is Admiral clocked 49.06 for the 800-metre trip leading from the outset but he had only a neck to spare over his stablemate Jonolly Lass that raced a greenly in the straight but showed grit over the concluding stages.
Geegees Baritone (Wordsmith-Opera Star) from the Leon Wells stable ran home strongly in his trial for a game second to Lustica but was not fully extended over the final 100 metres.
Campbell’s other candidate Calavera finished third to Lustica and was doing his best work late.
The second division (Race 2) sees the most impressive trial winner of them all in Geegees Doublejay emerge as the likely favourite.
The Stuart Gandy-trained gelded son of Wordsmith scampered over the 800 metres on Tuesday on a dead 5 surface in a slick 49.17 to score by almost two lengths from trial leader Lady Jane that is a half-sister to last year’s top three-year-old Mister John.
Lady Jane set a fast tempo and Geegees Doublejay settled third and gradually worked into the race.
When jockey David Pires called on Geegees Doublejay to challenge he quickly hauled in the leader and went to the line under a bit of a hold.
Don’t We Love It from the John Keys stable also was impressive in the first set of trials by clocking 50.96 on his way to a 6-1/2 length win over filly Our Bundy Girl.
Devonport trial winner Lustica must be considered given the way she went about leading all the way to win her trial on the synthetic.
Her time of 50 seconds was questioned by rider Brendon McCoull who also rode Admiral (49.06) and he doubted there was almost a second difference between the two.
Manchero (Kaphero-Mismanch) finished third behind Admiral beaten about four lengths but his best work was over the concluding stages.
Manchero is owned by Charlie and Wendy Langmaid who own last season’s top two-year-old Grand Tycoon.