VICTORIAN trainer Patrick Payne expects his promising three-year-old Jarss Act to make the trip across Bass Strait worthwhile by winning the $90,000 Betfair Tasmanian Guineas over 1600 metres at The TOTE Racing Centre in Launceston on Wednesday night.
Jarss Act (Delago Brom-A Class Act) is only lightly raced, having had five starts with his latest effort a convincing win at Horsham in North-West Victoria in a 0-62 handicap over 1400 metres on December 18.
While a win on a minor country track in a lowly restricted race, albeit against older and more experienced horses, is hardly the sort of form to recommend at assault on three Listed races.
But Payne has been planning the Tassie assault with this horse for some time.
“I’ve been aware of the Tasmanian carnival foe a few years now and I have been waiting for the right type of horse to send over for the good three-year-old races,” Payne said.
“Jarss Act is not quite up to the standard of the better three-year-olds here in Melbourne and while I am not degrading the quality of Tasmanian three-year-olds I just feel he is a better chance of winning some black type races over there,” Payne said.
“I’ve thought for a while that this horse is the right type to handle the travelling and if I’m right he will be very hard to beat on Wednesday night,” he said.
Jarss Act has won twice from five starts. This will be the gelding’s third start this preparation and if he performs to Payne’s expectations then he is likely to stay in the state.
“The plan is to tackle the Tasmanian Guineas, see how he performs and then more than likely keep him in Tasmania to contest the Hobart Guineas (2100m) on January 22 and then on to the Tasmanian Derby (2200m),” Payne said.
The Betfair Tasmanian Guineas has attracted a great field that includes another interstate invader in Moving Money from the Leon McDonald and Andrew Gluyas stable.
The South Australian three-year-old is a recent winner of a $35,000 race over 1250 metres at Morphetville in Adelaide.
The Artie Schiller gelding has won three times from 14 starts but has not won beyond 1250m.
The Betfair Tasmanian Guineas is race seven on the nine-event program. All races will be televised live on Sky 1 as well as on Sky World that will include full mounting yard reports from Peter Staples along with his Late Mail tips and up to date market moves.