Brunton and Newitt home and hosed
THE final meeting of the thoroughbred season plays out at Spreyton on Sunday with both trainer and jockey premierships already resolved.
Scott Brunton will win his sixth trainer’s title in succession in his own right and he partnered his father David to the previous five premierships so to say he has dominated the state’s training ranks for over a decade would be an understatement.
Brunton goes into Sunday’s meeting with 50 wins to be 14 clear of Team Wells that comprises Leon, who operates out of the Brighton complex, and his sons Dean and Trent.
The battle for third rests between John Blacker (29) and Adam Trinder (28) with Leanne Gaffney (25) an outside chance to grab the minor spot.
Given the state didn’t race for 11 weeks, due to the COVID-19 shutdown, the number of wins registered by the three leading trainers is on a par with last season with Team Wells the big improver.
Team Wells has so far notched 36 wins this season compared with 34 last season as the family-operated business also improved its strike rate.
Tenants of the Brunton stable have so far earned $1.128m in prizemoney and that’s almost double that of any other training operation, while last season three stables toped the million in stakes with Brunton netting stakes of $1.451m; Barry Campbell winning 47 races for $1.161m and Adam Trinder’s stable (43 winners) netting $1.028m.
Brunton takes only a small team of four to Spreyton on Sunday with Words of Pride his best winning chance in a benchmark 74 handicap over 1150m (race 7).
Craig Newitt will win his third jockeys’ premiership in succession but it could be his last for a while as he has relocated to Victoria and will only return to Tasmania during the summer carnival providing border restrictions have eased by February next year.
Newitt won last season’s title with 99 wins and he was hellbent on cracking the ton in 2019-20 but COVID-19 put an end to him achieving that goal and he will have to settle for 64 wins.
Anthony Darmanin and Siggy Carr share second place with 39 wins apiece but with Darmanin stuck in Victoria the door is open for Carr to secure second place on her own as she has some top rides on Sunday.
Bulent Muhcu has had his best season in the saddle with 37 wins, with the prospects of improving on that on Sunday and three-times premiershipwinning rider David Pires has so far notched 36 wins.
It is an outstanding effort from Pires, who came close to having to give the game away due to a serious hip injury from a fall at Elwick in 2018.
He returned to race riding in November last year and endured the 11-week shutdown but will finish fifth in the jockeys’ premiership despite riding just half a season.