Force is with Bill for cups
Up-and-coming stayer passes audition with flying colours
“BRING on the Cups!”
Astute trainer Bill Ryan made the declaration after his promising galloper Speed Force scored an emphatic win in a benchmark 82 handicap over 1620m in Launceston on Wednesday.
Ryan, who prepared Genuine Lad to win the 2015 Launceston Cup, believes Speed Force is potentially the best stayer in Tasmania and that his missions were the Hobart and Launceston cups.
David Pires had the gelding settled fourth with cover to the home turn before he unleashed a powerful sprint to go on to score by three lengths from Beaufort Lad and Gallow Gate.
“This horse is Tasmania’s best cups horse by far and I’ve thought that for a while,” Ryan said.
“I had planned to run him in the Devonport Cup but he copped a lung infection and that ended that plan, but tonight I put the blinkers on him to sharpen him up and it worked, but almost too well.
“He began brilliantly with the blinkers on and for a moment I thought he was going to over race, but David [Pires] was able to get him under control and into a nice rhythm early in the race.
“He finished it off like I expected and he will now go to the weight-for-age Summer Cup in Hobart on Sunday week full of confidence.”
Speed Force showed signs last season he could develop into a cups prospect by win- ning a benchmark 82 handicap over 2100m in Launceston at the end of his preparation.
“I kept this horse in cotton wool for six months and now we are going to reap the rewards for looking after him,” Ryan said.
His first two starts this time in were in wfa races over 1400m and 1600m last month, finishing sixth and fifth.
“This win will boost the horse’s confidence so I’m looking forward to the two major cups more than ever,” he said.
A cups double bonus of $100,000 is on offer to connections of any horse who can win the Hobart and Launceston cups in the same season, with $50,000 to the owner and the remaining half to the trainer. POPULAR Victorian-based horse syndicator Joe O’Neill will have two starters at next Wednesday night’s meeting in Launceston with Casa De Lago nominated for the Thousand Guineas and two-year-old Our Long Sali for the Alfa Bowl.
Casa De Lago (Delago Deluxe-Cacciatore), prepared by Patrick Payne, has won her past two in Victoria with the latest in a 0-58 handicap at Kil- more last Monday week, while Our Long Sali (Needs FurtherTycoon Sali) is unraced and in the care of one of Tasmania’s top trainers Stuart Gandy.
Our Long Sali was impressive in winning a trial in Hobart two weeks ago.
“It’s been a while since I’ve had any runners in Tasmania so I’m looking forward to this next chapter,” O’Neill said.