In Brief
- Banca Star has thrived since last Sunday's outing.
- Trainer banking on the filly's race fitness to give her the edge.
- Lucky Bucky and Stefanidi loom as main dangers.
Trainer Angela Brakey will be banking on race fitness being a big enough advantage for her three-year-old filly Banca Star to secure victory in a maiden over 1200m in Hobart on Sunday.
Banca Star finished second in a Launceston maiden behind We Need A Star (pictured) in early April, before being sent across for two starts in Victoria for successive fourths during Tasmanian racing’s shutdown due to the pandemic and had she not been taken wide in the home straight last Sunday she might have gone close to breaking her maiden status.
“I held my breath and winced when she was taken to the outside of the track, but it was the first race and sometimes jockeys make mistakes,” Brakey said.
“She’s drawn a wide gate, but she is very fit and has come through last Sunday’s run in fantastic order, so at this stage it’s all systems go to make the trip to Hobart.
“I thought she probably should have won last Sunday, and she will go into this race in even better shape.”
Banca Star has had four starts this time in for a first-up second and three consecutive fourths.
She debuted in November 2018, with a fifth to Gee Gees Darl in a 2YO maiden in Hobart after which Brakey sent her for a spell.
“I’ve always thought the filly had above average ability and I’m surprised she is still a maiden but I’m hoping that changes on Sunday.
Banca Star’s main rivals on Sunday appear to be the John Luttrell-trained Lucky Bucky that finished second in the race in which Banca Star finished fourth last Sunday and the Ian Hay-trained Stefanidi that was fourth last Sunday behind Brakey’s smart filly I’m A Floozy.
Watch Banca Star finish fourth in Launceston last Sunday.