Tasracing

It was great to have racing back on the synthetic in Devonport on Sunday with races won by horses coming from on and off the speed dependant on race tempo.

It threatened to be a difficult day for punters and it largely played out that way. Only two of the nine winners had placed at their last start and one of those was a horse that hadn’t run in over 600 days, Miss Excess.

The winners

1150m

Race 4 (Benchmark 74) – Ethical Dilemma 1:09:37

Race 1 (2YO maiden) – Apollo Rocket 1:09.63

Barbie’s Witness (Brendon McCoull) wins in Devonport on Sunday.

Race 2 (Maiden) – Calingo 1:09.66

Race 5 (Class 1) – Barbie’s Witness 1:09.75

Race 6 (Benchmark 60) – Miss Excess 1:10.10

Race 3 (Maiden) – Moonlight Escapade 1:10.66

1350m

Race 9 (Benchmark 66) – Dark Wanderer 1:22.51

Race 7 (Benchmark 60) – Windrider 1:23.27

Race 8 (Benchmark 60) – Gee Gee Flash Too 1:25.29

Race summaries

Race 1: In a race full of first starters it was Apollo Rocket ($9) for Ken & Tanya Hanson that stood out with a very impressive debut win. Troy Baker was able to overcome the widest draw with enough early speed to cross to the lead and despite that the filly still ran home with the second fastest 600m and 400m of the race for an easy win. The winning time was the second fastest of the six 1150m races and less than two lengths slower than Ethical Dilemma who won in Benchmark 74 grade. This was an excellent performance and bodes very well for her 3YO campaign. War Correspondent ($4.60) was second throughout, while the market came for Vienna Boy ($7.50 into $3.80F) and Labby Rock ($10 into $6.50). Vienna Boy was solid without ever threatening and Labby Rock was wide without cover with clear excuses. Parisma ($19) was the pick of the rest as the best closer in the race, finishing wide on the track where many runners would make ground through the day.

Apollo Rocket (Troy Baker) winning a 2YO maiden in Devonport.

Race 2: Calingo ($11) made a one act affair of the second race with David Pires riding the first of what would be three winners. Pires had the run of the race trailing a solid tempo and ran home with the 10^th fastest last 600m of the day in a career best performance from the 3YO gelding that was almost identical time to the first race. The placings were filled by swoopers with Jackjack ($6.50 into $4.20) being the best of those from near last in-running while race favourite Gee Gees Turf Talk ($4.20 into $3.10) weakened after racing outside the leader.

Race 3: Comeback jockey Dianne Parish recorded her first win since the 2010/11 season when she guided Moonlight Escapade ($41) home for Team Wells. The 4YO mare has shown glimpses of form but is often poor from the barriers and while she was in the back half of the field on Sunday, Parish guided her through the field expertly and let down well down the outside to win by the smallest of margins. She just nabbed Jayemara ($5.00F) who was on-speed and went so close to her first win at start 33. Boss Cheyenne ($13) settled behind the lead, far closer than she normally has in her short racing career and was only beaten 0.2 lengths in third. This was the slowest of the 1150m races and the exposed form of those in the finish make the form out of this race hard to trust going forward.

Race 4: Weekend Whisky ($9) and GeeGee Trendsetter ($9.50) raced each other in front and this was a race dominated by swoopers with the first four across the line settling as the last four in-running. The best closing sectionals belonged to Ethical Dilemma ($5 into $4F) thanks to a gun ride from David Pires. Pires pushed the button earlier than those behind him, going from a position on the inside rail at the 600m to being widest on the home turn with full momentum. With five wins from 16 career starts Ethical Dilemma has the chance to graduate to legitimate open class this campaign. Less than a length separated second through fifth, another example of the evenness of the horses in this grade.

Ethical Dilemma (David Pires) wins a BM74 in Devonport.

Race 5: The market told the story as Barbie’s Witness ($7 into $4) let down powerfully to win from well back on the home turn. The 5YO mare was having her first start in Tasmania for Leanne Gaffney and she finished with the fastest last 200m and 400m of the program to rundown her stablemate Elisavet ($11 out to $18). Betting gave a strong guide as to the final outcome, but the second horse was arguably better than the winner after sitting wide throughout. I’m A Floozy ($4.20) lost favouritism as the money came for the winner, but was honest, leading and being run down late.

Race 6: Leanne Gaffney made it a race-to-race double and like the previous, it was with a horse having her first Tasmanian start. Miss Excess ($8.50 out to $14) wasn’t backed like Barbie’s Witness but it mattered little as she was lifted over the line by David Pires who had a treble within six races. Pires pushed forward from a poor draw and despite drifting off the track in the home straight he just held on from a wall behind. Only a length split second through ninth with a decent move going amiss on Tycoon’s Daughter ($7 into $3.80F) who looked to have every chance but perhaps wasn’t helped by the leader laying out in front of her.

Race 7: This was another race where the tempo suited backmarkers and it was Windrider ($5) who had the best of the finish with Ismail Toker in the saddle. The quinella sat last and second last early with Submit Another ($12.00 into $5.00) smashed in betting in a plunge that just missed. This race completely changed complexion pre-race as favourite Comiskey Park ($2.40 out to $4.80) doubled in price and ran accordingly, the first horse beaten before the home turn. Gee Gees Magic Man ($9) was the best of the on-pacers and was brave given the way the race played out. The overall time was a massive two seconds quicker than the next race which shows the difference in race pace and the easy time the next leader had.

Ismail Toker brings Windrider back to the unsaddling enclosure after the win.

Race 8: Gee Gee Flash Too ($4.40) took out the second last of the day, leading all the way. I’ve repeatedly mentioned in these review pieces that Siggy Carr is as good as they come on a leader and she proved that again in the last two races. Siggy controlled the race at a slow pace but lifted the tempo when needed to avoid her horse being pressured and in a sprint home, she had just enough to hold off Wide Spread Panic ($9) who landed behind the leader. The slow pace meant that this race produced some of the best closing splits of the day and betting fluctuations were impacted late by the barrier scratching of Mag Wheels ($4).

Race 9: The progressive Dark Wanderer ($2.30F) made it three wins in as many career starts and a running double to finish the day for Siggy Carr. As she’s done now in all her wins she went straight to the front and gave nothing else a look in. The merit in this win was the fact it was her first past 1200m and she had to carry 61kg first-up. You can only win and that’s what the 4YO gelding keeps doing and trainer Sarah Cotton has a nice horse in her ranks. 8YO Reann’s Diamond ($15) and 10YO Spihro ($10) were the next two across the line with some excuses for Ocean Essence ($3) who never settled in-running, perhaps resenting the slow tempo.

FORMPLUS Black Bookers

Apollo Rocket – Impossible not to be impressed by the win, burning the candle at both ends of the race in good time.

Elisavet – Knocked off by a plunge on the stablemate and will only be better over further. Great return.

Gee Gees Magic Man – Softened up on speed in a race favouring those from behind. Only won one of 22 but ready to win again.

Watch the replay of Leanne Gaffney having the quinella in race five on Sunday.