TASMANIA’S reigning premier training combination of David and Scott Brunton celebrated their best day at the office when they prepared six winners on the nine-race card at Tattersall’s Park in Hobart yesterday.
The first of their winners was unraced three-year-old filly Lost Island (Helike-Echarpe) that came off an impressive trial win and delivered on that promise in the first race on the card.
Scott Brunton expects the filly to make the grade further down the track and was very pleased with her debut effort.
Lost Island was ridden by Anthony Darmanin and is raced by Rick and Tina Polley in partnership with Michael Kent, Rodney Campbell and Julie Brunton.
Team Brunton’s other winners were Derailleur, Rialto John, Banca Mo, Prevailing and King Kalakaua.
Of the six winners, four were first-up, which made it an even more impressive training effort.
Banca Mo’s effort to win was outstanding, given where he was in the run on the home turn and the trouble he found in the home straight.
The lightly raced four-year-old gelding looks set for a successful campaign and the same can be said for Rialto John that showed great promise last preparation and has come back bigger and better than ever.
Rialto John was a narrow winner over Kinksky and Tal Dean with only a head between the trio on the line.
King Kalakaua is a former Victorian that was having his first start in the state and he too was impressive.
Darmanin had the six-year-old gelding settled just worse than midfield before urging him forward at the 600m mark.
King Karakaua put the end result beyond doubt 200m out when he forged clear and went on to win by 1-1/2 lengths.
It gave Darmanin a book-end double but it was Michael Guthrie sho stole the show as he partnered the remaining four Brunton-trained winners.
Guthrie was at his brilliant best and with the Brunton stables’ number one rider Brendon McCoull sidelined through injury for at least the next six weeks, Guthrie only needs to keep his weight in check to be almost ensured a bulging pay packet over the four weeks of the AAMI Tasmanian Summer Racing Carnival.