Swoop is one to beat

Blacker confident after gelding ‘comes on in leaps and bounds’

BOOKMAKERS installed in-form local stayer Swoop Dog a short-priced favourite at $1.70 to win the $150,000 Tasmanian Derby at Elwick on Friday but it comes as no surprise to trainer John Blacker who says it is his three-year-old’s race to lose.

Swoop Dog burst on to the scene as a genuine Derby prospect when he gave his rivals a galloping lesson in the $100,000 Listed Tasmanian Guineas over 1600m in Launceston early last month.

The gelded son of Husson followed up at his latest outing two weeks ago with an even more impressive win in the Launceston Guineas over 2100m, which was his first and only outing beyond 1600m.

Even though the Launceston Guineas was run at a farcical pace, Blacker remains adamant that his stable star will win the Derby to prove beyond doubt he is the state’s most exciting staying prospect.

“After he won the Tasmanian Guineas, I said he would win the Launceston Guineas and with that in the bag, all is left is for him to win the Derby on Friday,” Blacker said. “I did also predict he could go on and win the Launceston Cup but that might have been a bit ambitious. The horse has come on in leaps and bounds since his Launceston Guineas win. He has put on five kilograms and his trackwork, while never flash, has been as good as ever this week, so he goes into the Derby at his peak. I reckon only bad luck in running can beat him on Friday.” Apprentice Kyle Maskiell has been aboard Swoop Dog for all his wins, and he retains the ride on Friday.

Three of the five interstate invaders in the field of 11 appear to have good enough form to offer strong opposition to Swoop Dog.

The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr stable will saddle up Alloway ($5.50) and Bury Road ($12), and both have good recent form to warrant backing.

The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Explosive Jack comes off a laststart win over 2400 metres at Kembla Grange that looked good enough to suggest he is a genuine winning chance.

Price is confident his two runners will be competitive.

“Alloway ran second to Liqueuro at Flemington last start only beaten a long neck and they have huge raps on Liqueuro,” Price said.

“In saying that, I have a good opinion of Bury Road because I think he could be the better stayer of the two I’m sending down.”

Eustace says Explosive Jack is a typical European stayer that goes into the race with excellent recent form.

“We locked in the Tasmanian Derby for this horse straight after he won the race over 2400m at Kembla Grange,” Eustace said.

“His biggest asset is his ability to stay.”