Tassie Star has chance to show Mile claims
PETER STAPLES
WHILE the Launceston Cup is the feature race on the 10event card in Launceston on Wednesday, it is fair to say the nation’s punters will be watching the Vamos Stakes over 1400m for fillies and mares with a lot more interest.
With Tasmanian mare Still A Star having just stormed into the $5 million All-Star Mile field courtesy of almost 10,000 votes in Racing Victoria’s popularity-based entry system, everyone is keen to see what she can do at her first start in a year.
Still A Star won the Tasmanian Oaks at her last start this time last year, after which she suffered a lung infection that prevented her from an autumn campaign in Melbourne.
With that behind her, trainer Bill Ryan is confident she can run a huge race on Wednesday and justify her entry into the world’s richest race over a mile.
She comes up against her arch rival Deroche, who comes off a flop in Hobart after which she endured, according to one part-owner, all tests known to man, but revealed no abnormalities.
Horses can have an off day and that was obviously the case with Deroche as she is one of the best sprinting fillies to race in Tasmania in years.
Still A Star also comes up against Victorian mare Ethical Solution, who won the Bow Mistress and, according to connections, has not gone backwards since that win.
Still A Star has been working in trials and strong trackwork to be ready for her firstup assignment and the man who does all the work on top in trackwork, Patrick Dargan, is confident the four-year-old mare is up for the challenge.
“Still a Star is a fairly feisty mare out on the training track, in that the first lap she is lovely then the second lap she really grabs hold (of the bit) and wants to get on with it,” Dargan said.
“This past week she has been bouncing out of the ground, she is so well, and that’s great for her and not so good for who she’ll meet in the Vamos.’’
Still A Star is on the third line of betting at $3.70 behind Ethical Solution ($2.80 fav) and Deroche ($3.50) with the Adam Trinder-trained Mystical Pursuit next best at $4.80.
DANIIL Medvedev has broken into the top three for the first time in the ATP rankings, while Russian compatriot Aslan Karatsev shot up 72 places after his shock run to the Australian Open semi-finals.
Medvedev finished runner-up at a Grand Slam for the second time when he was swept aside by top-ranked Novak Djokovic in Sunday’s final in Melbourne, the Serb collecting his 18th major title.
Former US Open finalist Medvedev
switched spots with Dominic Thiem, who slipped to fourth after he lost to Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets in the last 16.
Bulgarian Dimitrov returned to the top 20 but the biggest move was Karatsev, a qualifier who became the first man in the Open era to reach the semi-finals of a major on a main-draw debut.
Karatsev, 27, rose from 114th to 42nd after knocking out three seeds.
DONOVAN Mitchell had 23 points and eight assists as the NBA-leading Utah Jazz rained a franchise-record 28 three-pointers in a 132-110 rout of the Charlotte Hornets on Monday.
Australian Joe Ingles and Georges Niang scored 21 points apiece as the Jazz got a superb offensive performance from their bench to win their 21st game from 23 outings and improve to 25-6.
Jordan Clarkson (five threes), Mike Conley (four threes), Mitchell (three threes) and Royce O’Neale (two threes) contributed to the Jazz’s domination from beyond the arc. Conley also had 15 points.
Charlotte rookie LaMelo Ball scored 21 points as the Hornets kept it close until the fourth quarter when the Jazz took command.
In Los Angeles, Bradley Beal scored 33 points as the Washington Wizards won their fifth straight, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 127-124 in overtime.
LeBron James carried Los Angeles offensively, scoring a teamhigh 31 points but the Lakers missed two chances to force double overtime and instead lost their third in a row. It does not get any easier for the Lakers, who play the Jazz on Wednesday.