Pleasuring a star for Weir

TOP Victorian trainer Darren Weir has a knack for finding the right horses to raid Tasmania’s summer carnival and yesterday the master mentor continued his dominance.

His talented three-year-old filly Pleasuring toyed with her rivals to win the $150,000 Listed Tasmanian Oaks over 2100m. Weir won the race last year with Parthesia but Pleasuring gave the impression she might go on and win much better races.

Pleasuring went into the race on the back of a similar victory in Hobart two weeks ago in the $150,000 Listed Strutt Stakes over 2100m.

Corporate bookmakers opened her price at $1.50 and many believed that fair, but she eased on course and started at the luxury price of $2.20.

Outsider Heaven’s Delight ($101) led while Pleasuring was allowed to settle just beyond midfield by her rider Damian Lane with the heavily backed Pateena Arena ($11 into $5.50) in the perfect spot one-out with cover.

When the leader started to feel the pinch at the top of the home straight it looked for a moment that the favourite might struggle to gain a clear passage, but Lane somehow managed to manoeuvre his filly between horses to find a path. Once clear the favourite sprinted to the leaders and went on to score by 1½ lengths from the John Blacker-trained outsider Gone Girl ($41) with the Danny O’Brien-trained Berkshire Lady an eye-catching third.