Six of best from McCoull
Perfect strike rate for trainer after double
MULTIPLE premiershipwinning jockey Brendon McCoull is having a stellar season, but his strike rate with Spreyton trainer Adam Trinder is one out of the box.
McCoull has taken six rides for Trinder this season for as many wins.
In Launceston on Wednesday night he landed a double, both for Trinder, who declared his ride on Our Shinkansen in a strong class one handicap (1220m) exceptional and the difference between his mare winning or, at best, being placed.
McCoull also used his impeccable judgment to land Dusty Joe a winner in the maiden-class one over 2150m.
“It’s nice to be riding winners on a regular basis and to have a perfect strike rate for Adam [Trinder] this season is tremendous,” he said.
He was impressed with Our Shinkansen, who delivered a blistering turn of foot to overhaul the leaders in the shadows of the post.
“She got the job done well and beat a couple of smart horses and when we look back on the race, we will say it was a pretty strong class one,” McCoull said.
His ride to get Dusty Joe ($1.40 favourite) home was superb. He allowed the gelding to use his early speed to settle second and when he was taken to the middle of the track in the home straight, he powered home to win comfortably from Full Knots Ahead and Sizzkye.
Trinder says Duty Joe has done a good job this time in and is not far off heading for spell.
ASTUTE trainer Michael Trinder is contemplating giving his gallant sprinter Liffeybeau one more chance to win a Newmarket Handicap.
This year’s event will be held in Launceston in a fortnight and to convince Trinder he was ready, Liffeybeau delivered the goods in a benchmark 84 handicap on Wednesday night.
With Troy Baker aboard, he stalked the leader and when asked, the gelded son of Magnus let down brilliantly to go on and score by 1½ lengths from Gee Gee Double Dee with Uber Ed a fastfinishing third a neck away.
“He’s run in a couple of Newmarkets and had no luck,” the trainer said.
“I’d say at his age (seven), this would be a last roll of the dice at winning a big race.”
The win agave Baker a treble as he partnered Coronation Pia and Northern Spirit to victory for his fiancee, Siggy Carr, who also trained a treble for the first time. NEXT week’s $100,000 3YO Cup in Launceston has attracted 11 nominations and if all accept it promises to be a cracker of a race.
Premier trainer Scott Brunton has two fillies, Thunberg, and Reite Den Blitz, with Thunberg his best winning hope on the strength of her impressive wins at her past two starts.
Stuart Gandy will saddle up last season’s 2YO of the year Gee Gee Josie, who has had two runs this time in for minor placings and the promising Algernon, unbeaten from two starts, deserves his place in the line-up.
Add to the mix Turk Delight, from the Glenn Stevenson stable, Adam Trinder’s potential star Warrior Prince and last season’s wellperformed two-year-old Le Cadeau and we have the makings of a brilliant race.