Late call proves winner
CHEERS Chappy broke through for an overdue win when he powered home to score impressively in a class three handicap over 1400m in Launceston last night.
The Tammy Mollrosstrained gelding was listed as an emergency in the race but, fortunately for connections, he scraped into the field through multiple scratchings.
Cheers Chappy had notched minor placings at his two previous outings but, courtesy of a good barrier (1) and a superb ride from Troy Baker, the gelding weaved a passage through the field in the home straight to run down the leaders and score convincingly.
Cheers Chappy was backed in from $21 to start at $10 with most fixed odds operators but they were over the odds given his form leading up to the race.
“This horse has been so honest throughout his career but he has suffered a lot from bad barrier draws and bad luck in many of his races,” Mollross said.
“Tonight I was a bit surprised big odds were offered about him winning because his form against similar opposition was quite good.
“The owner has been very loyal and I’m rapt every time he wins.” THE John Luttrell-trained Apriano appears to have recaptured the form he showed when he first arrived in his stable early last year.
Apriano made it two wins in succession when he led throughout to take out the Dolly’s Dream Foundation Benchmark 62 Handicap over 1200m.
“The horse had a lean period and at one state it looked like we might not go on with him but I changed some gear and made some alterations to his training and he came good,” Luttrell said.
Apriano has won six of his 31 starts with five minor placings so he was the best-performed horse in the race.
Geegees Spitfire flashed home to finish second while Cranbrook battled on gamely with 60kg on his back to finish third. PLAYER ONE delivered a knockout blow to punters in a benchmark 64 event over 1600m when he powered home to win as the rank outsider at $100.
The Max Cowan-trained gelding was once considered a genuine major cups prospect, finishing fourth in the 2016 Hobart Cup before starting an $8 chance in the Launceston Cup but became cast in the stall, yet was still allowed to run in the race.
Cowan said that incident had set the horse back and Player One had never been the same.