In Brief
- Filly overcomes wide run to win with ease.
- Dominant win justifies the short quote.
- Heaven's Bonus and Vamos Raffa good for the Derby next start.
The Ladbrokes Tasmanian Summer Racing Carnival still has a long way to go, but the performance of Still A Star last night winning the Listed Kevin Sharkie Launceston Guineas will be one to remember for a long time.
The lone filly in the field was sent out the $1.65 favourite off the back of her strong performances in the main lead-up races, but from a wide draw things didn’t go to plan for rider Brendon McCoull, who did a mountain of work just to take the ride, wasting heavily to get down to 55kg.
Caught wide for the first half of the race, McCoull didn’t panic, making sure he kept his filly in rhythm through the race, and when he pushed the button turning for home, she sprinted clear of Heaven’s Bonus ($5.50) for a dominant five-length victory.
“First try at the trip, I’d rather be three-wide and travelling sweetly than off the bit and under pressure, and it’s easy to say now, she probably would’ve won no matter what I did,” said McCoull post-race.
The majority of the field were on trial at the 2100-metre distance for the first time and led by the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Superhombre ($10.00) they ran along at a solid tempo which certainly sorted out which horses saw out the staying trip.
As Superhombre began to weaken before the home turn, the race was only going to be won by either Heaven’s Bonus or Still A Star, though Vamos Raffa ($16.00) worked home late to challenge Heaven’s Bonus for second when the race was over.
The Schweppes Tasmanian Derby at the return to racing in Hobart on 31 January is the next staying feature for the three-year-old’s, but trainer Bill Ryan may concentrate on the filly’s races, which his horse now looks to have at her mercy.
“I don’t know about the Derby, it’s worth thinking about, I guess. I could nominate her and see what comes over. You would think on that run the Strutt Stakes and the Oaks would be easy pickings for her,” Ryan said when discussing where the filly may head next start.
The winner of half her 10 races, Still A Star had shown brilliance over the shorter distances, but her trainer was always confident she would run out the 2100 metres.
“I thought the way she run the mile she’d run a strong 21, but I didn’t think she’d run as good as that”.
Watch the replay of Still A Star winning last night in Launceston.