TOP Victorian owner-breeder-trainer Daren McDonald has dispatched some handy chasers to Tasmania in recent times and the latest to make an impact is Sour Pop that scored an impressive win in a division three heat of the TGOTBA series in Hobart last week.
Sour Pop (Where’s Pedro-Sum Chance) began well from box two but was unable to find the lead when Blue Josephine (7) and Tranmere (8) crossed from out wide to share the lead to the top turn.
Sour Pop ($2.20) turned for home in fourth spot but half way up the straight he stretched out and went on to score by almost two lengths from Tranmere and Blue Josephine.
He stopped the clock at 26.60s which was a fair effort on what was a slow rain-affected track.
The remaining heat was taken out by the Mick Stringer-trained Magwitch that was heavily backed to start the $2.70 favourite and never gave his backers any cause for alarm winning by almost a dozen lengths.
Magwitch (Hallucinate-Flower Rain) began brilliantly from box eight to have no trouble in finding the rail and once on the lure he sped clear.
However, his winning margin was exaggerated courtesy of multiple scrimmages at the top and home turns that put half the field out of business.
“There was a lot of trouble back in the field but the dog can clock a 5.16 first split and that’s going to give him an edge at this level every time,” Stringer said.
“He’s capable of running 26.60 and that’s about his go but when you go fast early your not going to find trouble,” he said.