It may have only been the second meeting of the season, but history may well show that the 9 August Devonport program produced some smart winners. The likes of Freelancer, Red Letter Lady and Julius were all dominant in their respective victories and look to have much bigger fish to fry down the line.
After the track uncharacteristically favoured swoopers a week ago, we had a more traditional Devonport style program where the majority of winners were forward and you could lead and win if rated well in front.
Local trainer Leanne Gaffney continued her amazing run with four winners from six starters while Brendon McCoull took riding honours with a treble inside the first five races.
The winners
1009m
Race 2 (0-60) – Fitzwilliam 59:75
1150m
Race 3 (Maiden) – Freelancer 1:08.12
Fitzwilliam (Siggy Carr) gets the best of a close finish in Devonport on 9 August.
Race 7 (Class 1) – Julius 1:08.44
Race 10 (Class 3) – Barbie’s Witness 1:08.74
Race 4 (Maiden) – Red Letter Lady 1:08.75
1350m
Race 9 (BM 66) – Cabarrus 1:20.84
Race 6 (Class 1) – Gee Gees Saint Nik 1:22.38
1650m
Race 8 (BM 60) – Queen’s Needs 1:42.82
1880m
Race 5 (Maiden/Class 1) – Irish Shotgun 1:56.85
Race 1 (BM 74) – Gee Gee Fiorente 1:59.08
Race summaries
Race 1: Favourite punters were away in the first as Brendon McCoull controlled from the front on Gee Gee Fiorente (1). This race was little more than an early crawl before a sprint home, evident by the overall time being over two seconds slower than the maiden/class 1 over the same distance and the 34.05 final 600m of the race being easily the fastest of the day.
Gee Gee Fiorente (Brendon McCoull) wins the first race in Devonport on 9 August.
Race 2: Fitzwilliam ($1.75F) justified his short price with a narrow victory in the second. Siggy Carr settled behind the leader Limerick City ($20) and while the margin wasn’t big on the line, if you were on the winner you had little reason to feel uneasy. Backmarkers couldn’t get into the race which isn’t unusual over the 1009m and this will be a tough race to take a lot out of going forward.
Race 3: Ismail Toker rolled to the front from a wide barrier aboard Freelancer ($3.40) and never looked back once he crossed to the rail. It was a smart ride from Toker who was caught wide early but pressed forward and when he found the lead the race was essentially over. A strong betting move went amiss on debut with Freelancer, but he clearly has ability and his winning time here was the fastest of the four 1150m races to suggest he will measure up to better class. Needs To Belong ($8) ran well at his first start and shouldn’t be a maiden for long, especially if he draws better. Race favourite Take the Sit ($2.80 into $2.25) still has a lot to learn, throwing the race away early with some bad racing manners before finishing off OK when it was all over.
Race 4: Red Letter Lady ($2.15 into $1.60) continued a run of big margins early in the day, strolling in by over four lengths to give Brendon McCoull an early double. The Bill Ryan stable had no luck with the favourite in the previous race, but a sharp move on this winner never looked like having the same fate. The overall time wasn’t far off the more experienced horses, so the 4YO mare should definitely have more wins in store. Of the rest Lucky Roo ($14) ran on well from last but has a tendency to settle a long way off the leaders.
Race favourite Red Letter Lady (Brendon McCoull) wins race four on 9 August.
Race 5: The first half of the day belonged to Brendon McCoull who rode his third winner of the day when Irish Shotgun ($7) dove late to nail Gee Gees Magic Man ($9 into $6) on the line. The winner layed in in the home straight which left Gee Gees Magic Man in front and he looked like the race was his, but when McCoull got his charge to the outside of the two in front of him he really picked up late. Red Fiore ($9.50 out to $14) fought on bravely after leading to hold third, only beaten 0.3 lengths. Despite the tight finish this looks a race of decent depth for the grade and I’d be surprised if it didn’t produce subsequent winners. Spirit of Wiora ($3.60F) was over three lengths away in fourth and was a bit flat footed when the leaders kicked in a race where nothing really made an impact from the back half of the field.
Race 6: In a slowly run race the leaders were given every possible chance and Gee Gees Saint Nik ($21) took advantage to give apprentice Thomas Doyle a winner and a double for Team Wells. He was perhaps over the odds after hitting the line solidly in Hobart but also an example of how hard it can be to judge the runs of those finishing well down that outside rail. Less than three lengths separated the top eight with the runs of Kombacy ($17), Gee Gees Punter ($11) and Terrific Torri ($21) all good from impossible positions with how the race was run while Ravage ($3.70) was wide without cover for the trip as well as the rider being 1kg overweight so there were some excuses there.
Race 7: The progressive Julius ($2.80F) made it two wins from as many starts with an arrogant win against a reasonably strong class 1 field. Ismail Toker was forward in the run and very confident around the bend, having a good look before asking his charge to extend, eventually winning by three lengths eased down. Star Thoroughbreds have had a great run in the last few years and this horse seems likely to add to it. Gympins ($11) blew the start so her effort to run second was excellent and if you can excuse her second-up run she is going well enough to win soon. Our Little Ted ($31) was a big price first-up but ran well after racing without cover and looks better suited at 1350m or further around this rack.
Queen’s Needs (David Pires) holds off Elisavet (Brendon McCoull) in Devonport.
Race 8: An announced change of tactics to try and lead was a masterstroke for Queen’s Needs ($12) who went to the front and hung on for an all the way win. This appeared a race with little speed on paper, so credit goes to the Brunton stable for showing initiative and to David Pires who rated the 5YO mare to perfection in front. Elisavet ($3.90) was three-wide without cover off a moderate tempo at best so her effort to finish so close to the winner was very brave. Well-supported favourite Moss ‘N’ Bolt ($2.60F) was shuffled well back and forced wide on the home corner, learning quickly in two Tasmanian starts that races in this distance and grade are rarely genuinely run.
Race 9: Cabarrus ($4.40) was well ridden by Bulent Muhcu to take out the second last of the day and make it two wins in succession for the 5YO gelding. Trainer Leanne Gaffney has said he is a horse with a few tricks, but he certainly knows how to draw a gate, his last four starts jumping from 1, 1, 2 and 1. Like the previous win, Muhcu made full use of the low draw, saving ground in the run and presenting with an unimpeded run in the straight where he looked the winner a long way from home. Willby Rules ($11) closed hard for second from well back and may be looking for 1650m at this stage of his campaign. Those two put a gap on the leader Weekend Whisky ($15) in third while a decent move on Ocean Essence ($6 into $4) went astray, weakening quickly after racing outside the leader.
Cabarrus (Bulent Muhcu) defeats Willby Rules (Brandon Louis) in race nine on 9 August.
Race 10: Barbie’s Witness ($8 out to $15) defied a betting drift to land one of the best wins of the day. In her short Tasmanian career, she’s shown herself to have a great turn of foot and she really unleashed that here with the fastest last 400m and 200m of the program to grab Adam Trinder’s pair Silkstone ($5.50) and Magic Waler ($6.50) in the closing shadows. As the grades get harder, she may find it tough to keep winning in this fashion, but it’s something to behold when it comes off. The first four across the line all ran well and in fifth place was the heavily backed Jeremiah ($4.60) who couldn’t slot in from his wide draw which took away from his sprint in the straight.
FORMPLUS Black Bookers
Needs to Belong – I liked the trials entering his first start, but the barrier was a big negative. Ran well and I’d be surprised if he was a maiden for long.
Ravage – We can be forgiving of this performance and take note of his SP. He’ll be right in the mix for something similar next start.