MISTER JOHN raced his way into favoritism for the $90,000 Tasmanian Guineas (1600m) after he scored an impressive win in the 3YO Trophy over 1400 metres in Launceston tonight (Wednesday).
In winning, the Royston Carr-trained gelding burst the Arenzano bubble and burst the Guineas race wide open.
The Barry Campbell-trained Arenzano went into the race unbeaten from four starts this season and was coming off an emphatic win in the 3YO Cup over 1200 metres.
Arenzano showed good early speed to lead, just as she did in the 3YO Cup, but when the heavily-backed Kenjorwood ($10.50) was eased three-wide by rider Craig Newitt he quickly moved alongside Arenzano ($1.40) and they matched motors to well into the home straight.
Kenjorwood gained the upper hand but Arenzano refused to wilt and under string riding from Anthony Darmanin she regained the lead about 100 metres out.
But that’s when jockey Stephen Maskiell got to work on Mister John and the gelding eventually got the better of Kenjorwood and Arenzano.
It was a brilliant win and Maskiell was full of praise for the gelded son if Strada.
“H is a very talented galloper and probably six months away from being a top class galloper but whet he’s doing at the moment makes him one of the better three-year-olds,” Maskiell said.
Mister John was bred by his owner Dr John Burke who owns the broodmare Kat Clause that won a feature race at Flemington on a heavy track and that came into play tonight with the rack downgraded to a slow 7 by the time race five came around.
“I couldn’t be happier and to win like he did would suggest he might be a good chance in the Tasmanian Guineas in a fortnight,” Dr Burke said.