Seven races were run at a soggy Hobart on Saturday where another dominant display by red-hot trainer Scott Brunton saw him produce three winners.
Only three jockeys rode winners, headlined by David Pires who had four while apprentice Brandon Louis had a double.
The track
The forecast was for little or no rain but unfortunately that wasn’t the case as the rain was constant through the day.
The track started as a good 4, was downgraded to a soft 5 prior to the second race, downgraded again to a soft 7 after race three and eventually the last three races were run on a heavy 8.
Riders looked to steer clear of the inside rail as the conditions deteriorated and many of the beaten performances will be attributed to the rain affected track.
The winners
1000m
Race 4 (BM84) – GeeGee Trendsetter 1:01.79
Hela winning a maiden in Hobart.
1100m
Race 2 (Maiden) – Hela 1:07.18
Race 3 (Class 1) – Ascot Lad 1:08.13
1200m
Race 1 (Maiden) – Lady Foxwedge 1:14.88
1400m
Race 7 (Class 3) – Vivid Dreamer 1:29.21
Race 6 (Class 1) – Miss Iso 1:29.42
1600m
Race 5 (BM60) – The Decider 1:43.75
Race summaries
Race 1: Leading trainer Scott Brunton has been in dominant form recently and that continued in the first race where Lady Foxwedge ($6 out to $7.50) led home a stable trifecta. David Pires had the 4YO mare three-wide outside the speed set by Sunsoutsungsout ($2.60F) and We Deserve This ($4.40) but as the day wore on it would become evident that racing wide wasn’t the negative it normally is. The quinella cleared out but in the end the winner had the drop on the second horse who was left in front when the favourite didn’t give a lot in the home straight. The third of the Brunton runners home was Hellot ($14 into $9.50) who made good late ground nearer the inside.
Race 2: The market indicated that debutante Hela ($1.65 into $1.40F) had above average ability and that was certainly the case as she strolled to an effortless victory. The 3YO filly is related to 2020 Hobart Cup winner Toorak Affair and while she naturally has a long way to go to much her feats, this was a nice start. David Pires had an early double by going straight to the front and extending the margin. Keeping in mind a deteriorating track, she’s run almost six lengths quicker than the following race at class 1 level. Better races beckon in the coming months. The Beekeeper ($10) chased the winner throughout and while he was no match, he had a three-length margin to Belmista ($4.40 out to $8) in third.
Ascot Lad (David Pires) wins a class 1 in Hobart on 17 October.
Race 3: David Pires had a treble through three races when he booted home Ascot Lad ($7 into $5) in typical Pires fashion. Generally a backmarker, the 4YO gelding jumped well but still found himself in the back half of the field with a lot to do approaching the home turn. Angling to the better ground out wide, the gelding had to run the fastest last 200m of the day and punched out by Pires he picked up the heavily supported Swingin’ George ($5.50 into $3.50F) who was being hailed the winner. Ascot Lad’s recent trial on 6 October has now produced three winners in the last week, keep that in mind for when Skilendra and And Beyond hit the track. Bandinelli ($5.50 out to $8) was a big drifter but was good after racing nearer the inside which was the inferior ground. The trifecta has all run well but many of the beaten brigade were first-up which was a big ask on what was a testing surface.
Race 4: Apprentices Brandon Louis and Ianish Luximon fought out race four and it was a Stuart Gandy quinella as GeeGee Trendsetter ($2.90F) grabbed Gee Gee Lanett ($5 into $4.40) by the barest of margins. It was a heady ride by Louis on the winner who had Lanett to his outside throughout but angled off her heels turning for home, enabling him to get wider in the straight. The better ground and added race fitness were perhaps telling late and the first two put almost four lengths on Minute Repeater ($10 into $7.50) in third. The well-backed Apriano ($6 into $4.40) wasn’t able to lead which put an end to his chances and O’lonh Star ($4.40 out to $6.50) didn’t seem to handle the heavy conditions.
Race 5: David Pires overcame an unsuitable inside draw to land his fourth winner aboard The Decider ($3.80 into $3.20) who was well found late. Pires trailed the leaders to the home turn and although he raced away from the rail, he was still the closest runner to the inside, but he avoided the worst ground and was clearly the strongest late. It was a welcome return to the winner’s list for The Decider who hadn’t won since October 2018. Kel’s Star ($3.10F) had her chance racing outside Gee Gees Saint Nik ($8.50 out to $13) who made a mid-race move to find the front. Early favourite Dixie’s Boy ($2.80 out to $4.40) drifted and ran accordingly, another runner where the conditions were likely the main factor.
Vivid Dreamer (Brandon Louis ) defeats Set Play (Ismail Toker) in the last race on 17 October.
Race 6: The finish to the sixth saw trainer Joel Flannery chasing his first winner with Miss Iso ($19 into $9) and apprentice Codi Jordan looking to break her duck aboard Divisor ($1.80 out to $2.20) and things just went the way of Miss Iso. It was a big effort from the winner who missed the start by a couple of lengths but clearly handled the heavy track and Ianish Luximon just picked the pocket of Divisor who appeared the winner 200m from home. That pair put 3.8 lengths on Dunmining ($6.50 into $4.40) in third.
Race 7: Brandon Louis brought up a double when he partnered with Vivid Dreamer ($6) to finish the day. It was another good ride from the improving apprentice who had the back of race favourite Pennstock ($3.60 into $3.10) who was caught wide without cover. On the home turn he was travelling like the winner and only had to wear down Set Play ($3.70) who was the pilot for much of the race. The margins through the field for the last few races showed the track was genuinely heavy and many clearly struggled in the conditions.
FORMPLUS Black Book
We Deserve This – First use of the track may mean the form holds truer than the later races. Not suited by the favourite weakening quickly and a good margin back to third.
Watch the replay of Lady Foxwedge just defeating We Deserve This in the opening race.