Hobart hosted a quality twilight meeting on Friday with a 9 race card including two feature races, the $100,000 Kevin Sharkie Tasmanian Guineas and the $30,000 Brighton Cup. Up Cups raced his way into the Hobart Cup field with a victory in the Brighton Cup, while Jerilderie Letter strengthened his claims for 3yo of the year with a narrow Guineas win. Trainers Adam Trinder and David Brunton both trained two winners, while Kim Moore rode a winning treble and Damien Thornton rode a double of his own.
Race 1 2:33pm Hobart Cup 8 Feb 3yo Maiden Plate (1000m)
Only Kiss enjoyed getting back to her home track over the shorter 1000m here with an impressive win to break her maiden status in good time. She had a lovely run behind the leader and when Kim Moore pushed her way out underneath Fill Ya Boots in the straight she let down nicely to gain the upper hand over the closing stages. She ran the fastest last 800m and 600m sectionals of the meeting in what was a clear personal best run but being only her 5th start she looks to have a bit of scope.
The Captain was well-supported in early markets but after being only fairly away he didn’t have many more excuses as he found the lead and controlled the speed to his liking. He ran well but just ran into one better on the day. What An Option ran nicely with top 7 splits from the 800m mark home after enjoying the one-out one-back spot, while first-starter Fill Ya Boots was very firm in betting ($5 to $3.50) but couldn’t finish off after racing outside the leader. Union Boss was quite a nice debut effort despite being unfancied at $71, running top 3 splits from the 800m home including a meeting-best last 400m sectional. He looks one to follow over a bit further.
Race 2 3:08pm Schweppes Maiden Plate (1100m)
You Didn’t was sent out a shade of odds-on by punters ($1.95) and they were right on the mark as he won comfortably despite having the hardest run in the race. From the outside barrier he was caught wide throughout, but he was helped by the very slow tempo and was able to creep around the field to be with the leaders as they turned. Despite the wide run he was as strong as anything in the straight and deserved the win.
A Choice Scotch ran reasonably well at her debut and shapes as a nice type of horse for longer distances, running the 8th fastest last 400m of the day, while Berry Wise Fox improved from his first run to fill the 3rd placing. Roitfeld was another first starter who showed enough while A Matter Of Time was much improved and ran the 6th fastest last 200m of the day. With the slow tempo and average sectionals this doesn’t look much of a form race on face value but there are a few lightly-raced types who can improve with experience.
Race 3 3:46pm Treasury Wine Estates Maiden/Class 1 Plate (1600m)
Lyndspur was specked in betting to improve here ($15 to $12) and rewarded those punters with a dominant win. Kim Moore gave her a beautiful run on the fence and snuck through the inside on turning at which stage she raced away and always looked in control. The stable have always seemingly had a bit of an opinion about her and she may try her hand at some of the 3yo fillies’ races from here.
Prominent Star ran a short priced favourite and would have punters frustrated again but he appears to have been most undone by the slow tempo, as he ran home with top 11 splits from the 600m mark including the 3rd fastest last 200m of the day. He probably can’t go better than that so while he’s not winning he’s still going well enough to win when things go his way. Toakio Tower ran a much better race with the blinkers on for 3rd, in front of another improver Stormy Affair who ran home strongly after being slow away early.
Race 4 4:26pm Tasracing.com.au Maiden/Class 1 Plate (1600m)
Poacher’s Son bounced back from an ordinary effort when favourite at Longford with a strong win here at his first try over 1600m. He was perfectly handled by Moore who was able to improve into the race gradually while the pace slowed up front and that added momentum saw him pounce on the leaders in the straight to land the major prize. Overall time here was ok and considering he is still eligible for this grade Poacher’s Son looks in for a competitive short-term future.
Squire ran home well as he tends to do for 2nd, while She’s Rosie battled away to grab 3rd in front of Miss Choosey, who looked the winner at the top of the straight before weakening over the last bit. These horses look reasonably competitive in this grade currently but none of these look likely to race through the grades any time soon.
Race 5 5:06pm Derby Day 5 Feb Class 2 Handicap (1400m)
D’inzeo raced out his grade here with just the one win to his credit but it made no difference as he led his rivals a merry dance with a dominant all-the-way victory here. Damien Thornton took over the lead down the back and made sure the tempo was strong to beat off the on-pacers around the bend but still had enough in hand to hold off the swoopers late. The overall time was very good and this was the win of a horse with a big future ahead.
Beryl Bee has found some form at her past couple of starts ridden back and was very good here finishing with top 12 splits from the 600m mark to the line. Her new racing pattern is proving much more fruitful but she does need things to pan out well for her in front. Tara’s Gem ran well on the turf in what was a question mark after her dominant Tapeta performances, while favourite Extended Warranty was a bit disappointing after sitting outside the winner but she was no match for him in the straight. The jury is also out a little on Varian, a horse with obvious ability but it has now been over a year since his last win and although his late sectionals here were ok, he did finish at the rear of the field.
Race 6 5:46pm Brighton Cup (2100m)
Up Cups ($9 to $6.50) was well found by punters and raced his way into the Hobart Cup field with a win in a fast-run Brighton Cup here. He has shown his ability to perform in races of strong tempo previously but this was his first win past 1400m and he was very strong on the line in doing so, recording the 12th fastest last 200m of the meeting. While the 2400m and likely interstate competition in the Cup will pose a whole new challenge, he does get another nice lead-up race to tackle next in the Summer Cup and should be one of the leading chances there after this effort. The overall time was less than a second outside the long-standing track record so not only will these horses be much fitter for the run, but the form looks reliable to take from this also.
Player One was an astonishing effort to run home into second from last on the turn, rattling off top 2 splits from the 600m mark including clearly the fastest last 200m of the meeting of 11.33 seconds. These figures are very rare over this trip and he would have won in another couple of hops. He is in super nick for the Summer Cup next which he placed 3rd in last year, and again showed he looks one of the leading local contenders for the major Cups. Lingo was well backed from $12 to $7.50 and went very close, being beaten less than a length. He is also ticking over nicely but next time out at 2200m will likely tell whether he heads towards the big Cups. Of the rest, Settler’s Stone ran on reasonably well without ever threatening and Geegees Classicboy gave an improved sight in the lead before faltering in the straight, while the rest were beaten comfortably on their merits and it is hard to see them turning the tables on the first few in the Summer Cup.
Race 7 6:17pm Young Racing Tasmania Fillies & Mares Benchmark 72 Handicap (1400m)
Hyperbole was a drifting favourite as they headed to the barriers for this event ($2.40 to $3.10) but the market got this one wrong as she won in impressive style. Although she wasn’t suited by the stop start tempo which saw a sharp increase in speed from the 800m mark, she was good enough to continue a sustained run from worse than midfield to grab the lead in the shadows of the post. She is a very promising mare with cover chasing a good tempo and proved that again here.
Lustica returned to form in good fashion with a gutsy effort on speed and she looked the winner halfway down the straight. She appears to be enjoying the softer tempo of the slightly longer journey at 1400m and just found one better on the day. Lady Jane was another to regain some form with an on-pace effort to run 3rd but she still doesn’t look the horse she promised to be earlier in her career. Finalargee was very firm in the market ($8.50 to $6) and finished off well to just miss out on 3rd placing, while favoured runners Downwind and Secrets She Has both disappointed and finished near the rear.
Race 8 6:52pm Kevin Sharkie Tasmanian Guineas (1600m)
There wasn’t much between Jerilderie Letter and Gee Gees Top Notch with the bookies when the Guineas field jumped ($2.65 v $2.75) and there wasn’t much between them at the finish either, with Jerilderie Letter diving through late to get the prize by a short half-head margin. His effort to win was very good after he missed the start by a length and had to sustain a long run from the 800m to get into the race while the pressure was on up front in what was a well-timed ride by Darmanin. He was strong to the line weaving a passage nearer the inside and while his late sectionals were only fair, the overall time was very good, indicating it was a true test of the mile rather than a sit and sprint which can eventuate with these 3yo races. He looks as capable of stepping up to the 2100m of the Hobart Guineas as any and expect him to run favourite there bar any quality opposition from interstate.
Gee Gees Top Notch would have lost no admirers here with her narrow defeat against the boys after again being well ridden by Carr and she did just about everything but win the race. She has shown tactical versatility to ride closer to the speed at these longer trips and she gives every indication the further distance of the 3yo classics will be within her grasp. Clearly she will be competitive if she takes on the boys again but should she go back to the fillies’ races she stands out as clearly the hardest to beat there. The Master Speed was very good racing on speed at his first try against the best as a 3yo and wasn’t far away at the finish, while Siorca produced the best last 400m of the race in a much better effort than last time. Speedhump raced wide for much of the race but still finished his race off well in what was a nice trial for the 2100m, while Strathalbyn was another back in the field who was strong over the latter stages.
Race 9 7:25pm Tasracingclub.com.au Class 1 Handicap (1100m)
Aquila Reale put the writing on the wall first up with a good 2nd but this was clearly the best performance of her short career, racing away from the field over the concluding stages to win by nearly 3 lengths. The overall time was very good set up by a strong tempo in front, but she was able to run top 11 sectionals from the 800m mark home including the 2nd fastest last 800m sectional of the meeting. When most were on empty late she was full of running and it was the win of a good mare in the making.
Jacques stepped up from his maiden win to run a good race here at start number two, sitting just behind the good speed and running home well enough to grab 2nd, holding off the despised roughie Sunday Cider who did a good job to run 3rd. Islandsinthestream was much improved sitting outside the fast tempo and sticking on for 4th, ahead of Box Of Frogs who was easy in betting late ($2.10 to $2.50) and found the work in the lead too tough, knocking up over the last 200m. There wasn’t much to speak of for the beaten brigade and the winner is clearly the horse going places out of this lot.