Prospect emerges for Cup
TWO winners on the ninerace card in Launceston on Wednesday could emerge as sneaky chances to line up in the Group 3 $250,000 Launceston Cup at the end of the month.
Striking Prospect ($11), from the Gary White stable, scored an emphatic win in a maidenclass one over 2100m to signal his claim for a Cup berth and the John Blacker-trained Gallow Gate notched his third win over the 2100m trip in a benchmark 68 handicap.
Striking Prospect powered clear of his rivals to score by more than three lengths despite having raced no better than three-wide for the entire journey.
The gelded son of So You Think promised to deliver last season but he did not show up when being prepared for the Tasmanian Derby.
However, White never gave up on the horse affectionately known as “Ned” at the trainer’s Brighton stables.
“We have always known Ned had ability, but we just had to give him time to let it out,” he said.
“He ran last over 1600m in early December, so I had to work a few things out with the horse and tinker with a couple of gear changes, but on his trackwork leading up to this race I couldn’t fault him.
“Anyone who watches the replay will see what an enormous effort it was because he pulled hard throughout, he was never better than threewide the trip and when his jockey [Jason Maskiell] let him slide 800m out he kept going because I had him so fit.
“It was just the result we were hoping for and now we can look at running him in the Sydeston Night Cup (2100m) in a fortnight in Launceston and hopefully he can win that and sneak into the Launceston Cup.”
The Night Cup offers the winner ballot-free entry into the Launceston Cup and Striking Prospect has such a low rating (57 points before this latest win) he would more than likely be balloted out of the Launceston Cup if it attracted a full field.
Gallow Gate would more than likely be safe from ballot after last night’s win that also was full of merit.
The gelding has a rating of 74 which, if last year’s Launceston Cup is a guide, he will easily slip into the field.
With apprentice Chris Graham in the saddle, Gallow Gate ($9.50) showed his customary dash to race outside of the leader, a position he held to the home turn. When Graham called on the son of Any Given Saturday to sprint he sped clear at the top of the straight and held on to defeat the favourite Earl Da Vinci ($1.60) and Bidirectional ($13), who both ran on gamely.