Toorak nabs Affair draw
LAST year’s Ladbrokes Hobart Cup winner Toorak Affair has been afforded the luxury of a perfect barrier for Sunday’s Group 3 event over 2400m after drawing gate five at the official barrier draw at Elwick on Wednesday.
The Michael Trindertrained mare started from gate eight last year and was forced to work hard early to find a good position before going on to win.
But jockey Anthony Darmanin is thrilled with the barrier draw this time around.
“I would have loved anything from barrier two to seven, so gate five is perfect,” Darmanin said.
Toorak Affair won two weight-for-age races at Launceston leading up to her laststart fourth behind White Hawk in the Summer Cup (2200m) at Elwick two weeks ago.
“Her run in the Summer Cup was way better than it looks on paper because the pace was very ordinary, and she was left a bit flat-footed when they sprinted.
“She gets in well at the weights and I’m sure her trainer will have her spot-on on the day.”
White Hawk’s trainer Angela Brakey had mixed feelings about selecting four for her stayer.
“I was hoping for a wide gate so that he could be taken to the lead gradually and try and deliver the sort of performance he did to win the Summer Cup two weeks ago,” Brakey said.
“From barrier four he will have to be pushed hard early to hold his spot but I’m confident that if the jockey (Stan Tsaikos) rides him to instructions he has the ability to win the race.”
The field of 15 comprises three interstate-trained stayers – Barade (barrier 11) from the Archie Alexander stable, Tony and Calvin McEvoy’s barrier
recent Eagle Farm winner Classic Weiwei (3) and Double You Tee (12) from the Patrick Payne yard.
Double You Tee was a $100,000 Tasmanian yearling
purchase that began his career in Tasmania with John Blacker but was transferred to Payne as a four-year-old.
The likely favourite of the local brigade, Mandela Effect,
will start from barrier nine, which is a bit wider than trainer Scott Brunton would have liked, but his other runner Sir Simon drew ideally in barrier seven.