Ladbrokes Devonport Cup day did not disappoint with racegoers enjoying a beautiful day in the sun and with the addition of two extra races we had a 10-race card which was dominated by trainer Leanne Gafney who saddled up four winners including Newhart making it back-to-back Devonport Cup wins. Jockey Bulent Muhcu also had a day out going on to ride four winners for the day.
Race 1 – BM74, 1009m – Barbies Witness (59.17)
Barbie’s Witness (Bulent Muhcu) winning a BM74 over 1009m.
There were three main chances according to punters in race 1 and the Cameron Thompson-trained 5YO Mare Bothered brought some decent form lines from New Zealand and NSW. The early favourite pinged the gates to take up an early lead however only set a moderate tempo and faded down the straight with news later she may have pulled up a little lame so we can perhaps put a line through that run. Gee Gee Josie got herself into a nice position early but was only plain once she got to the home straight. Merciabelle returned from a spell in great order and peeled out to the middle of the track at the home turn to take the lead and Troy Baker would have been feeling confident until Barbie’s Witness who settled at the tail came widest with a blistering turn of foot for Bulent Muhcu and ran away easily for a 4.3l win in what was the fastest final 200m of the day and set the tone for the meeting with both trainer Leanne Gaffney and jockey Bulent Muhcu going on to have a day out.
Race 2 – Maiden, 1150m – Gee Gees Jennia (1:08.97)
Bulent Muhcu made it an early race-to-race double on Gee Gees Jennia, the second favourite jumped okay from a wide barrier but raced three-wide on the speed for almost the entire trip, but had enough to hold off the challengers who all settled in the first four as nothing was able to make up ground on those who were on pace for the entire race. Wild Style led but tired late to hold onto fourth. Race favourite Clifton Danseur was only fairly away and put in a bit of work early to settle second in the run which showed late, recording the second slowest final 200m but still holding on for third. Look for him to be winning when he draws a better gate. Miss Enthusiasm was well ridden by Craig Newitt and was the main challenger late hitting the line well for second.
Need a Gin (Anthony Darmanin) wins a maiden in Devonport.
Race 3 – Maiden, 1350m – Need A Gin (1:20.36)
Siggy Carr took Karnak Kid to the lead from barrier 3 and enjoyed a rails run before tiring. Craig Newitt got the one by one spot and gave race favourite Endured a good ride but had to settle for second as he began his run before the turn while Anthony Darmanin was patient and got on the back of Endured before peeling out and running the fastest final 200m for an impressive 1.3l victory on Need a Gin. Hero of Romani had to settle for third but the Adam Trinder-trained geldings run was full of merit as he had the toughest run of the top three.
Race 4 – Maiden/Class 1, 1880m – Red Fiore (1:57.17)
Greame McCulloch-trained gelding Red Fiore was well supported on the quick back-up from Longford Cup day coming from $15 into $5 and Ismail Toker managed to have the big gelding to his preferred position after working hard early and by the first turn was leading the field. Midway through the race the field was strung out with close to 20 lengths from first to last and Red Fiore’s lead at the home turn was enough for him to hold on. Siggy Carr gave her horse Full Knots Ahead a great ride tracking the leader and stuck on well for second, The Risk Factor was a close third just to its outside. Captain Morgan was the race favourite in the Maiden/Class 1 despite still not having broken through for a win and again ran well finishing fourth and will surely be winning soon. Get Back Joe was true to his name and came from the back to finish strongly however nothing outside of the horses up on pace had a chance to threaten the leading group.
Red Fiore (Ismail Toker) winning a maiden-class 1 1880m in Devonport.
Race 5 – BM66, 1150m – Aragon Star (1:08.30)
Bulent Muhcu combined with trainer Leanne Gaffney again for another winner in race 5. From barrier 7 he opted to settle the 4YO Star Witness mare toward the tail where she settled nicely as Entrapped jumped well and pinged to the lead. California Honey over raced a little in the early stages which left little in the tank later on. As they bunched at the turn Muhcu peeled out widest of all and got Aragon Star into clear running and she worked through her gears easily running the fastest final 200m of the race as her more fancied stable mate Artuso had to wait for a run and worked to the line together with Entrapped. Strategic Agenda was always up on speed and boxed on for fourth.
Race 6 – 3YO HCP, 1650m – Mystical Beauty (1:42.74)
Bulent Muhcu made it four wins from the first six races this time on promising 3YO filly Mystical Beauty who put in one of the performances of the day leading from start to finish and simply running the field off its legs. Weldborough tried to go with the leader but a solid mid-race tempo saw the race favourite spent by the time they reached the home turn, eventually fading to finish second last. Troy Baker stayed out of the early speed battle and allowed Northern Spirit to relax at the tail which saw the Needs Further filly fly home in the fastest final 200m of the race and only an unlucky bob of the head on the line cost her second spot as Lady of Fortune worked home nicely on its outside. Early favourite Turk Delight had a cosy run on the rail in third and although he did strike some interference about 100m out which stopped his momentum, he was slightly disappointing in fourth.
Mystical Beauty (Bulent Muhcu) wins a 3YO over 1650m in Devonport.
Race 7 – Class 1, 1009m – Kohima (59.59)
The longest odds winner of the day came in race 7 as the Cameron Thompson-trained Kohima drifted from $11 out to $16 and was the beneficiary of a great ride from Lucinda Boyd who’s mid-race move paid off. Jumping from barrier 7 Kohima was caught four-wide and 600m from home decided to get moving, overtaking the leaders and turned for home in front of Reward Achiever who was leading on the rail. The winning post couldn’t come quick enough as Anthony Darmannin peeled out at the turn after racing just behind the leaders and I’m a Floozy produced easily the fastest final 200m of the race to only go down by less than a head on the line. Reward Achiever had the most economical run of the race and stuck on to only miss by 0.4l and run third.
Race 8 – BM60, 1650m – Elisavet (1:42.16)
The money came for the Leanne Gaffney-trained 5YO Foxwedge mare Elisavet ($7 into $4.80) and a patient ride from David Pires saw her come from the tail down the outside of the straight to storm home in the fastest final 200m of the race. The Gee Gee’s set a very fast tempo early with a host of horses stuck wide on the speed for the first half of the race setting it up for those ridden more patiently away from the speed battle. The hard luck story of the race was Spihro who would have arguably won if he wasn’t crunched between Gee Gee Bay Watch and Gregorian Chant 100m from home, he lost all momentum but managed a huge finish to grab second on the line. Gregorian Chant had a good ride from Craig Newitt but nothing could match the unimpeded run Elisavet got down the straight. Considering the fast tempo the leaders set, both Gee Gee Bay Watch and Gee Gee Flash Too did well to hold on to fourth and fifth.
Elisavet (David Pires) wins a BM60 in Devonport.
Race 9 – Ladbrokes Devonport Cup, 1880m – Newhart (1:55.50)
The feature race of the day saw last year’s winner Newhart draw the widest barrier and drift in the market but it was the same result as last year’s Ladbrokes Devonport Cup with Craig Newitt keeping the Leanne Gaffney-trained 5YO gelding out of the early speed battle settling toward the tail. The tempo was hot early as Shewearsthepants and Dark Wanderer made second favourite Gee Gee Fiorente work hard early to be up on pace which showed late as they all finished in the second half of the field. Graeme McCulloch’s 5YO I Am Invincible mare Galway Girl who was favourite for the Longford Cup a week earlier improved out of sight at her second career start over this distance and an excellent ride from Ismail Toker saw her settle just behind the leaders and he made his move at the 400m to be leading at the home turn. But Newitt tracked her into the home straight and it was an exciting finish with Newhart finally getting his head in front on the line. White Cliffs flew home in the fastest final 200m of the race to grab third while Orange Roughie, on the back of five straight wins in a prep where the 5YO Needs Further gelding resumed as a maiden continued to add to his growing reputation running fourth, a credit to the work trainer Stephan Shaw has done since he arrived at his stables. Shot of Irish’s first run on the synthetic was disappointing as he enjoyed a cosy rail run midfield, fading down the straight to eventually finish 11th.
Race 10 – BM66, 1350m – Fighting Phoenix (1:23.33)
Race favourite Lesnar once again frustrated punters with the grey jumping well from the inside barrier but over racing for Craig Newitt early. Lesnar eventually settled on the rail behind the leader Braccenby who tired down the straight leaving Newitt waiting for the chance to get into clear running room, but it was too late as Daniel Ganderton gave Fighting Pheonix a good ride and was able to get going earlier to race away for the win. Mywordis who is trained by Drew Tyson continued its consistant form running third while Miss Excess showed a great turn of foot late to flash home into fourth.
FORMPLUS Blackbook
Captain Morgan again remains a maiden but look for it to be winning once it’s back in maiden grade. Lesnar keeps finding ways to not win and can be frustrating for punters but has ability and will surely be back on the winners list soon. Galway Girl keeps improving and has now shown us how versatile she can be over different distances ridden either on pace or back in the field. Mystical Beauty is the real deal and simply ran that field off its legs. Clifton Danseur will win soon, just needing to draw an inside barrier next time and stablemate Hero of Romani shouldn’t be far away either with a more economical run.