Eastender’s hot form scares off Cup runners

LAST year’s Launceston Cup winner Bondeiger is one of only a dozen horses nominated for this year’s edition to be run over 2400m at Mowbray next Wednesday.

Nominations for the race have extended until 10am today with the hope of luring more stayers to tackle the $250,000 Group 3 event.

Bondeiger was prepared by banished trainer Darren Weir with the gelding now residing with Ciaron Maher and David Eustace for whom the gelding has had one start for a fourth in the Torney Cup (2500m) at Moonee Valley last Friday.

Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott have nominated Fab- rizio, which was a late nomination for the Hobart Cup but surprisingly did not accept. However connections confirmed all parties decided the Launceston Cup would be the better option.

Fabrizio is the highest-rated horses of the dozen nominees so if he accepts the gelded son of High Chaparral will have the honour of carrying top weight of 59kg and wear the No.1 saddlecloth. However the seven-year-old hasn’t won for almost two years with his last victory in the Hawkesbury Cup in April, 2017.

The ease with which local star stayer Eastender won the Hobart Cup may have had something to do with the small number of nominations for this year’s Launceston Cup, which attracted a capacity field of 16 last year. Eastender was awesome in winning the Hobart Cup and according to his trainer Barry Campbell the gelded son of Tickets has improved since that run.

Hobart Cup minor placegetters Appmat, prepared at Broadmarsh by Brendan McShane and Victorianowned and trained Lamborghini from the Patrick Payne stable are among the nominations and they are both expected to run.

Godolphin will accept with recent Bagot Handicap winner Etymology, which has won his past three, while Danny O’Brien will bring Second Bullet, which has won two of his past three in the city with the latest over the Launceston Cup distance with Damien Oliver aboard. Oliver is expected to ride the gelding next Wednes- day — a bonanza for the Launceston club as the rider has a huge following in Tasmania.

“I have a commitment from Damien to ride the horse in Launceston and he will fly in on the day and I also hope to make the trip down to Tassie,” O’Brien said from Melbourne yesterday.

“I’ve had this race in mind for Second Bullet for some time and he has hit the right form for the race.”

Weights will be declared at 4pm today with final acceptances closing at 9am tomorrow.

The official barrier draw will be held during a Launceston Cup cocktail party at the Mowbray Racing Centre at 7pm tomorrow night.