One-track mind gives Tough Missile leg up

TRAINER Ray Worbey is quietly confident his quality sprinting mare Tough Missile can continue her love affair with the Elwick track and win today’s open handicap over 1000m.

Tough Missile has won seven times and all have been on the Elwick track with her latest over 1100m three weeks ago. At her previous start she was second, beaten a lengthand-a-half by O’Lonh Star in the Goodwood Handicap (1100m).

Worbey did not nominate the speedy mare for the Newmarket Handicap because she is such a bad traveller.

“She usually loses about 5kg in weight just travelling from home [Rokeby] to Elwick so travelling to Launceston on a race day is pretty much out of the question,” Worbey said.

“But I did take her to Brighton the other day for a fast gallop and she didn’t sweat up nearly as much as she usually does, so maybe she’s getting over this travelling problem.”

Tough Missile is yet to win over the 1000m trip but Worbey says he hopes the sevenyear-old mare can race closer than usual to the leaders today.

“I couldn’t have her any better for this race and while she has yet to salute over this trip I am very confident she can change that on Friday.”

A quality field has been assembled for the race, with Brighton trainer Stuart Gandy to saddle up four, including Gee Gees Jet, which is a 1000m specialist. Gee Gees Jet has had six starts over the 1000m trip for three wins and two seconds with one of those wins and the two seconds coming on the Elwick layout.

But it is his quality mare Gee Gee Lanett which represents the main danger to Worbey’s in-form mare.

Gee Gee Lanett was second to I’m Wesley in the Newmarket Handicap (1200m) just over three weeks ago and as an on-pace sprinter she would only need to replicate that form to be very hard to beat.

The Barry Campbelltrained Derasa comes off a sixth in the Newmarket, beaten 2.8 lengths after enjoying the run of the race one-out with cover, which was an improvement on her eighth of 10 in the Goodwood at her previous outing in Hobart.

Speed Force will be looking to notch his first win this preparation in a benchmark 72 handicap over 1600m (race 5), but he will have to carry 62kg in the process.

The gelding’s trainer Bill Ryan has been struggling to find suitable races for his major cups prospect.

“This is the only race that was half-suitable for the horse because unless you want to run a cups horse in the Listed weight-for-age races that cost close to $1500 to nominate and accept in a race you know you can’t win, which leaves the owners pretty much paying that much money for a track gallop.

“If you run in the Newmarket [1200m], Conquering [1400m] or Tasmanian Stakes [1600m] you just have to hope the horse can finish in the first eight to just about break even.

“The bulk of the benchmark races at this time of the year don’t cater for a stayer that has a rating of between 76 and 82.”