The outstanding form of trainer Scott Brunton continued in Launceston on Friday night where he produced another four winners including both features races. It was also a good night for trainer Stuart Gandy who had a treble.
Riding honours went to David Pires who had three winners of his own, all abord Brunton trained horses.
The track
The weather forecast was poor but despite some showers through the night the track raced as soft for all nine races. The first six races were run on a soft 5 before a downgrade to a soft 6 for the last three races.
It was a night where it was tough to make any ground from off the pace and leaders had an excellent time of things, many of them backed accordingly.
The winners
1100m
Race 7 (BM60) – Gee Gee Queen Bee 1:04.87
Codi Jordan notches her first win aboard Date Night in Launceston.
Race 3 (Maiden) – Gee Gee Sox 1:05.16
1200m
Race 6 (Tasbred 4YO) – Galenus 1:10.23
Race 9 (BM74) – Gee Gee Lanett 1:11.02
Race 4 (Tasbred 3YO) – Thunberg 1:11.18
1400m
Race 1 (BM74) – Jeremiah 1:24.77
Race 5 (BM60) – Date Night 1:25.38
1600m
Race 8 (BM66) – Runaway Girl 1:38.69
Race 2 (Maiden/Class 1) – Mywordis 1:38.91
Race summaries
Race 1: In a four-horse race to start the night, Scott Brunton trained the quinella as Jeremiah ($2.30) wore down Sir Simon ($1.90F) right on the post. Aspirate ($7 out to $11) was the unexpected pilot of the field with David Pires content to sit outside the leader and Kyle Maskiell getting the drop on the big grey. It took the length of the straight for Jeremiah to reach the front with the leading pair putting over four lengths on Sh’Bourne Star ($9.50 out to $13) back in third.
Mywordis with trainer Drew Tyson and jockey Ismail Toker.
Race 2: Ismail Toker worked forward early in the race aboard Mywordis ($1.70F) to take bad luck out of the equation and it was a painless watch from there, giving trainer Drew Tyson his first winner. Unfortunately, Royal Pippa ($101) dislodged rider Peter Lui but when that horse sped well clear of the field it left the favourite in front and he burst clear on the home turn to win by almost five lengths. The market didn’t like Lygon ($9 out to $17) which was the opposite of his first-up run but he ran an improved race to finish second ahead of the well supported Fagin’s Touch ($8 into $4.40) but certainly the winner was a different quality in this one.
Race 3: The third race was run in the rain which created some visibility issues and it was Gee Gee Sox ($4.60 into $3.30) who was another well-found winner. Siggy Carr sat outside the leader Gee Gee Royboy ($5.50 out to $9.50), beating off that challenge early in the straight and the filly had enough in store to hold off the debutante Sharma Rama ($11) who landed just behind the leaders. By this race it was becoming evident that it was hard to make any ground from off the speed which adds value to the run of Skilendra ($5) who came from midfield to just miss the placings.
Race 4: Thunberg ($2.30 into $1.75) made every post a winner for David Pires, jumping straight to the front and leading all the way. The filly was very well supported in a race where chances were only really given to Gee Gee Josie ($2.80 out to $4.20) and Freelancer ($3.30). The winner was as strong as anything else in the race on the line so despite having the advantage of leading, there was plenty of merit to the win and he’ll take some beating in the three-year-old features in the coming months. Gee Gee Josie ran into a clear second without really threatening the winner while Freelancer was a touch slow away making his task difficult and the best part of his race was the finish.
Gee Gee Sox (Siggy Carr) wins a maiden in Launceston.
Race 5: Date Night ($9 into $6.50) gave apprentice Codi Jordan her first ever winner with an all the way victory. The 8YO gelding looks a different horse when he races up on the pace and that was the key to him here with Jordan able to fight off the challenge of Gee Gees Magic Man ($3.20 out to $8) who raced to her outside and Ivoryman ($6.50 into $3) who ran on hard from midfield. The second and third horses were polar opposites in betting with Gee Gees Magic Man friendless and Ivoryman smashed late in particular. Favourite Vallabar ($2.80F) was outside the leader early but was shuffled back and only able to hold his position in the run to the line from there.
Race 6: Scott Brunton made it a clean sweep of the two $50,000 Tasbred features as the talented Galenus ($2.25 into $1.95) led throughout for an easy victory. The 4YO has long been highly touted but this was arguably a career best effort putting away a very handy field. The first four horses across the line all settled on the inside rail in running which was no doubt an advantage. Artuso ($31) had the leaders back and gave breeder Mandy Gunn the first two across the line, finishing ahead of Red Letter Lady ($4.40 out to $7) and Lady Joker ($41 out to $81) who came from well back but hugged the paint to save ground.
Race 7: This was another race dominated by the leading pair as Gee Gee Queen Bee ($4.40) returned to the winner’s list with Brandon Louis aboard. Louis sat just behind the leader Limerick City ($10 out to $15) before bursting clear on the home turn for a soft victory. The 5YO mare tends to mix her form but there is no doubting the talent on her day. Gee Gee Goldenlass ($2.35 into $1.85F) was one market move that went amiss, never really appearing to travel like a winner despite having a reasonable run in transit while Alinjer ($4.40 out to $7) was a good run for third against the pattern for the night.
Runaway Girl (David Pires) winning a BM66 in Launceston.
Race 8: Runaway Girl ($1.70 into $1.55F) continued her outstanding campaign, romping to a huge victory in the second last of the night to give Scott Brunton his fourth winner and David Pires his third. Pires had the favoured leaders role, but bias or not, clearly nothing was beating the 7YO mare who has now won four of her last five starts. She’s worked her way up to 66 grade, but in her current form there may well be another win or two, even in better class. Coronation Pia ($8 into $6.50) won the race of the rest but was in a different postcode from the winner.
Race 9: The pattern of the night was well and truly known by the last race as punters piled into the likeliest leader Gee Gee Lanett ($2.80 into $1.75F) and had a very easy watch after doing so. The 6YO mare was a touch unlucky not to win her previous start in Hobart but she atoned here with a 5.5-length victory. She was the sixth leader of the night to win, giving Stuart Gandy a training treble in the process. Perfect Award ($2.80 out to $4) just beat home Thewordsout ($9 out to $26) for second in a race that was over a long way from home.
FORMPLUS Black Book
Skilendra – Liked how she finished the race and there was good support for her. Suspect she’ll be better over a bit further.
Watch the win of Gee Gee Sox with Skilendra running home for fourth.