VICTORIAN trainer Darren Weir is likely to saddle up at least one runner in the upcoming Devonport Cup to be run on the new synthetic track at Tapeta Park Devonport on January 11.
The Devonport Racing Club will be pleased with the 23 nominations for what is the North-West Coast’s biggest race with five of the nominees from interstate.
Weir has entered Can Do and Keep Control, both part-owned by the Boxall family from Tasmania.
Can Do is an eight-year-old that has won seven times varying in distance from 1200m-1600m while Keep Control has only saluted three times (1600m-2400m) but was placed seven times from his past nine starts.
Keep Control resumed from a lengthy spell with a fourth of seven at Horsham in a 0-78 handicap on December 18 but he was beaten only 2-1/2 lengths.
Can Do has had three starts this preparation and has improved at each outing as he stepped up in distance from 1200m to 1600m.
Can Do’s latest effort was a fifth of eight at Sandown on December 21 finishing only two lengths from the winner over 1600m.
Weir said both of his candidates will line up in the Aquanas Foods Handicap at Moonee Valley on Saturday over 1600 metres.
“I will wait until after Saturday’s race at the Valley before deciding on which one will come for the (Devonport) Cup,” Weir said today.
“Keep Control has only had the one start this time in but he’s very forward and Can Do has pleased me with what he’s done at his three starts.”
“At this stage I’ll only bring one for the race but who knows, that could change,” he said.
Other interstate nominees likely to make the trip across Bass Strait are the Tony Vasil-trained The Wingman that has been in good form of late winning the Moe Cup two starts back and he has finished second at his five other outings this time in.
South Australian trainer Tony McEvoy will saddle up his first runner in a Devonport Cup if he opts to proceed with plans to bring Uchimura that notched back-to-back wins at Morphetville last month.
Top Victorian-based mentor David Hayes has nominated Token Of Honour, a Testa Rossa five-year-old, that was an impressive winner of a 0-89 race at Flemington just over two weeks ago and followed up with a last-start second at Sandown last Saturday behind Power O’Raylee in a BM78 over 1800m.
Last year’s Devonport Cup winner Dream Pedlar is missing from the nominations and understandably so as he would have been dealt with harshly by the handicapper given his form this season.
Instead that gelding’s trainer Troy Blacker will rely on Dream Pedlar’s half-brother Dream Flyer to represent the stable.
Weights for the Devonport Cup will be released next Wednesday (January 4).