THE main focus in Hobart on Thursday night will be the clash of Tasmania’s rising stars Rybenbrook and Pudzianowski in the final of the Easter Plate over 461 metres.
Both young dogs won their respective heats last Thursday night although Rybenbrook had to pull out all stops to emerge triumphant over Strapper’s Boy.
Rybenbrook began only fairly from box six but mustered speed quickly to be in the firing line at the top turn while Strapper’s Boy began well from box seven and had the front by the home turn.
Strapper’s Boy, prepared at Newnham by Doug Hammersley, led into the home straight but the Mick Stringer-trained Rybenbrook was poised to pounce .
But just when it looked as if Rybenbrook would surge to the lead Strapper’s Boy dug deep and there was only a short half-head between them on the line with the judge giving Rybenbrook the narrow advantage.
Rybenbrook stopped the clock at 26.15s, which was a bit south of his best of 26.02s but given the wet conditions most pundits rated it a good gallop.
But in the following race Pudzianowski gave his rivals a galloping lesson.
The Russell Watts-trained youngster flew the lids from box six and once on the lyre he sped clear and went on to score by almost a dozen lengths from Porticcio and Miss Mint.
Pudzianowski stopped the clock at 25.99s which was the best of the night.
Strapper’s Boy’s litter sister and kennel mate Strapper’s Angel (Collide-Ricky’s Angel) won her heat to snare a berth in the final.
She began well from box eight and stayed wide to the home-turn where she crossed down to the rails and sped clear to eventually go on and score a comfortable win over Didak Out Wide and National Vision.
However, Strapper’s Angel’s time of 26.51s would suggest she will need to improve a bit to match it with her litter brother and the two likely favourites.
Rybenbrook’s kennel mate Sweet Julia showed her customary good box manners to lead from box seven in her heat and was never headed on her way to a comfortable win over Buckle Up Dozer .
The lightly raced Thistle Street was a clear winner from box one in his heat , hitting the line about four lengths clear of Harrison George and Bashy’s Boy in a time of 26.32s.
The five winners and the three fastest seconds made it through to the final.