Tassie raiders in Flemington blitz

TASMANIAN gallopers have been making an impact at Saturday metropolitan meetings lately and they could steal the show at Flemington today.

Tshahitsi, trained at Campania by Chris Crook and Imogen Miller, is fresh from his Echuca Cup win and emphatic victory at Flemington over 1400m two weeks ago, and he has been installed the $3.50 favourite to win a Winter Championship heat (1400m).

Tshahitsi is in great form and should he win today his connections have confirmed he will stay in Melbourne for the Winter Championship final on July 8 before returning home for a short break.

The Tasmanian-owned but Darren Weir-trained gelding Royal Rapture is a chance in the same race at $9.50.

Multiple Tasmanian premiership-winning trainer David Brunton will saddle up his inform mare Step The Pedal in a benchmark 90 fillies and mares (race 3) over 1400m and 3kg-claiming apprentice Brandon Stockdale is booked to ride.

Step The Pedal has won her past five in Tasmania and she has drawn well in gate one, from where the apprentice should be able to settle her in an ideal spot, and at $11 she is great each-way value.

Longford trainer John Blacker has entered his handy three-year-old Zatacla in the last race of the day – a $100,000 3YO handicap over 1600m in which he is a $41 chance in early markets.

Zatacla is fresh from an impressive win in a strong Class 2 handicap in Launceston two weeks ago, after which Blacker said the gelded son of Al Maher was ready for an interstate trip. THE meeting in Devonport today features a nine-race card on which the Angela Brakey- trained Banca Dream looms as one of the top each-way bets.

Banca Dream is racing well out of his class with a rating of only 61, but a few of his failures in the past have been attributed to slowly run races and today there appears to be good speed in the race that should ensure a solid tempo.

“We know Banca Dream possesses above-average ability but he is still a bit immature and we have fiddled about with gear changes,” Brakey said.

“I’ve decided to get rid of the ear muffs and I’ve put the visors on for the first time, and I’m confident that will make a difference.”