FORMER Tasmanian Derby winner Ollie’s Gold moved a step closer to gaining a berth in the Group 3 Betfair Hobart Cup with an emphatic win in the Carrick Plate over 2100 metres at The TOTE Racing Centre in Launceston tonight.
Ollie’s Gold had won only one race since winning the 2013 Tasmanian Derby and that was three starts prior over 1550m in Hobart at the end of November last year.
His trainer Gary White has been upbeat about the gelding’s progress since returning to the winner’s circle and given the ease with which he dispensed with his rivals in this latest outing he must be rated a genuine contender in the upcoming Betfair Hobart Cup.
VRC chief handicapper Greg Carpenter tweeted after the race that Ollie’s Gold had moved up the Hobart Cup pecking order to be 18 on the ballot so with natural attrition from the 28 nominated he should be guaranteed a start in the field of 17.
White was delighted with the result.
“That was pretty much what I was hoping for tonight as it proves we are right on track with this horse’s program,” White said.
“We have had to be very patient with this horse because after he won the Derby he suffered a virus that had everyone baffled and it was just a matter of waiting and hoping he would come good and thankfully that’s how things panned out,” he said.
This latest win will have done the gelded son of Promontory Gold’s confidence the world of good heading into the major cups.
It was a keen pace with former Devonport Cup winner Red Eagle setting a solid tempo with outsider Roussos Destiny riding shotgun on his outside with in-form jockey Anthony Darmanin able to slot Ollie’s Gold into the one-out-one-back position.
But when the leaders slowed the tempo 800m out Darmanin made his move and allowed Ollie’s Gold to slide forward and when he hit the front turning for home the flashy chestnut let down brilliantly and went on to score comfortably from Deux Foix with Keukenhof running on well for third ahead of the well backed Cherry Dancer.
“We are hoping to get into the Hobart Cup because he is a genuine stayer and while he is probably going to be better suited in the Launceston Cup, he won the Derby in Hobart so he knows how to win on that track and he’s ready to step up to the 2400 metres,” White said.