AFTER blitzing a star-studded field in the Easter Plate final in Hobart last Thursday night Underclass Hero delivered another top class performance to win a heat of the Illingworth Classic in Launceston tonight (Monday).
Underclass Hero began only fairly from box two but when the inside runner Arome Peche (1) led and Wynburn Loco (6) raced to second but stayed wide it gave Underclass Hero clear racing room and he moved to third at the first turn.
The Mick Stringer-trained dog then slipped inside the leader heading into the back stretch and sped clear.
He extended his lead to the home turn and went on to score by over six lengths from Arome Peche with Mental As Ben (3) a closing third.
Underclass Hero ran the 515-metre trip in 29.79 which was a personal best and he is likely to run favourite in next Monday night’s final.
The first two placegetters in each of the four heats progressed to the final.
Despite going into the heats having won his past three Kalaway Ernie delivered the goods to book his berth in the final and at the lucrative price of $8.20.
Kalaway Ernie began fairly from box five while From The West flew the lids from box one and held sway nearing the first turn.
But Kalaway Ernie was determined to lead and ducked back to the fence leaving the first turn and sped clear.
The Butch Deverell-trained dog powered away from his rivals and went on to win comfortably over From The West with Sweet Izzy.
Mystic Falls stretched his winning sequence to four in succession when he scored a game win in his heat.
MysticFalls. from the Ted Medhurst kennel, began well from box five but not as quickly as the reserve Two Can that clocked a first split of 4.96 to lead Mystic Falls by two lengths heading into the back stretch.
But when the leader began to feel the pinch on the home turn Mystic Falls was there to swoop.
Mystic Falls sped clear and hit the line just under a length clear of the fast-finishing Topline Star that is a litter brother to Underclass Hero.
Mystic Falls stopped the clock at 30.20 which was many lengths slower than Underclass Hero.
Cosmic Fire might have clocked the slowest time of the four heats winners but he was one of the most impressive,.
Race favourite Real Caution led and held a comfortable margin over his rivals heading down the back stretch.
But Cosmic Fire copped a severe bump when crossing down from box eight at the first turn and that spat him out the back amongst the last few runners.
He copped another check in the back stretch.
Real Caution started to take tiny steps on the home turn and was swamped by his kennel mate Spring Fall that swept to the lead but Cosmic Fire kept coming and overhauled Spring Fall close to home to score comfortably with Wynburn Chaos storming home to grab third.
The Sonia Martin-trained dog took his career win tally to eight and with as many minor placings from his 24 starts he has been a good money spinner for his owners Sonia and Ricky Martin.