Punk takes aim at our Cups
SOUTH Australian trainer Leon Macdonald will aim handy mare Pretty Punk at the Group 3 $250,000 Hobart and Launceston cups after her impressive win in the Piping Lane Handicap over 2000m at Flemington on Saturday.
Macdonald, who trains in partnership with son-in-law Andrew Gluyas, was impressed with Pretty Punk’s effort, guided by Craig Williams to score by over a length in an evenly-run race.
“We will see how the mare pulls up, but if all is well she will more than likely be heading to Tasmania for the Hobart and Launceston cups,” he said.
“She had to perform well at Flemington to warrant a trip to Tassie and she ticked that box so she’ll probably head that way.”
Macdonald has tasted success in Tasmanian feature races during the carnival and while his last cup winner was Dakasha in the 2005 he has brought others to the state who have all performed well in feature events.
Pretty Punk scored an impressive win over 2018m at Morphettville in SA before heading to Flemington with her latest effort taking her career earnings to $275,000, accrued from five wins and six minor placings from 22 starts.
Pretty Punk is by Rebel Raider, who Macdonald trained to win the 2008 VRC Victoria Derby.
The trainer has enjoyed a lot of success with Rebel Raider’s progeny.
Other Hobart and Launceston Cup hopefuls will line up in a 1600m benchmark 82 handicap in Launceston tomorrow night (race 5) that will act as a lead-up race to either or both major cups.
The Bill Ryan-trained Speed Force will be having his third start this time in and Ryan expects a forward showing from his stable’s only cups candidate.
The John Blacker-trained Gallow Gate is first up from a short spell and warrants respect.
Blacker also has Beaufort Lad engaged and he comes off an eye-catching third in the Longford Cup on New Year’s Day while the top weight, Fastnet Dragon, will be looking to notch his first win in the state since arriving from Singapore last year.
Up Cups, the winner of the Hobart and Launceston cups two years ago was potentially having his last outing in last Friday’s Brighton Cup owing to some inglorious efforts leading up to that race.
The gelding suffered a leg injury that kept him off the scene for nine months and on former tracks he was unable to let down like he did when at his peak two seasons back.
But last Friday in the Brighton Cup over 2100m he flashed home to finish an eye-catching fourth to convince his owners he might still have something to offer in this year’s major cups.
His trainer, Rhonda Mangan, said Up Cups would press on towards the Hobart Cup with his next start likely to be in the weight-for-age Summer Cup in Hobart on Sunday week, a race he won before winning the 2016 Hobart Cup.