Trainers plotting Tassie assault
PREMIER Victorian trainer Darren Weir could take a twopronged attack into the $150,000 Tasmanian Derby next month.
Weir yesterday confirmed his last-start Cranbourne winner Wolfendale and promising colt Civil Disobedience would most likely make the trip across Bass Strait.
Civil Disobedience has won three of his past four starts and he will line up as favourite to win a 3YO race over 2000m at Flemington today.
“Civil Disobedience will definitely be heading to the Tassie Derby and Wolfendale should be in Tassie next weekend to line up in the Hobart Guineas (2100m) before going to the Derby,” Weir said.
“They will both be suited to the Derby but I won’t make a final decision until closer to the time.”
Weir says he doesn’t have a cups horse at this stage.
“I don’t have any of my horses pencilled in for the cups but that’s not to day one won’t emerge in the next week or so.”
Weir sent Big Duke for the major cups last season and he finished second to Count Da Vinci as an odds-on favourite in the Hobart Cup but made amends by winning the Launceston Cup before going on to win multiple Group staying events and finishing fourth in the Melbourne Cup.
Weir is hoping Freehearted can emerge triumphant at Morphettville in South Australia today in an open handicap over 1300m, which would earn her a trip to Hobart to tackle the Group 3 Bow Mistress (1200m) on February 9.
The South Australian training partnership of Leon Macdonald and Andrew Gluyas has confirmed Pretty Punk will head to Tasmania for both major cups and their handy mare Gogo Grace will line up in the Bow Mistress.
Gogo Grace finished sixth in a fillies and mares’ race over 1400m behind Sharing at Flemington last Saturday, after which Macdonald confirmed the Tasmanian campaign.
“Gogo Grace will have her next start in the Bow Mistress and she will most likely stay in Tassie to go to the Vamos over 1400m in Launceston,” he said.
Pretty Punk was to have had her first start in Tasmania in the weight-for-age Summer Cup over 2200m next Sunday but Macdonald changed his mind and opted to run the fouryear-old mare in a $120,000 handicap over 2000m at Caulfield next Saturday.
Victorian trainer Patrick Payne is starting his assault early, with one from his stable lining up in a feature race in Launceston on Wednesday.
His well-performed threeyear-old filly Casa De Lago will line up in the $30,000 Thousand Guineas over 1600m before tackling the Strutt Stakes and the Tasmanian Oaks.
Casa De Lago has won her past two on country Victorian tracks but will be up against some class Tasmanian acts, including last season’s best twoyear-old Pateena Arena, who ran home strongly in Hobart last start for a third in the $100,000 Tasmanian Guineas (1600m).