Sparks fly as Jack explodes
EXPLOSIVE by name and explosive by nature is the only way to describe the power shown by Victorian threeyear-old Explosive Jack after his win in the $150,000 Listed Schweppes Tasmanian Derby at Elwick last night.
The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained gelding came from near last at the halfway mark of the 2200m blue riband event to hit the front in the home straight and draw clear to win by almost four lengths from Alloway ($4.40) and local star Swoop Dog ($2 fav). Explosive Jack ($6 into $4) was having only his fourth start, but it was his third win and clearly his most impressive.
“He is a very nice horse with a bright future,” co-trainer David Eustace said.
“We knew he could stay having come off a win over 2400 metres at Kemble Grange three weeks ago and it was a week later that we decided to target the Tasmanian race.”
For jockey John Allen, it was his second Tasmanian Derby success, having won three years ago aboard Civil
Disobedience. “This horse pretty much went to sleep for the first half of the race,” Allen said.
“But when he switched on, he showed a brilliant turn of foot, so he is well named.
“I knew he would win when he started to truck into the race from the corner and then he had no trouble putting them away in the home stretch.
“I had a word to Ciaron (Maher) about two weeks ago and said he would be an ideal horse for the Tassie Derby and here we are winning the race.”
Alloway was one of two from the Mick Price and Michael
Kent Jnr stable to contest the event.
And he was game in defeat, having been given a gun ride by Craig Newitt, while his stablemate Bury Road failed to flatter to finish eighth and about 17 lengths from the winner.
The John Blacker-trained Swoop Dog kept coming in the home straight after dropping the bit 700m from home, but he surged again in the straight.
Swoop Dog may have been uncomfortable on the track that was downgraded from a soft 6 due to the constant rain that fell during the meeting.