Mornington aspirations

SPREYTON trainer Rowan Hamer hopes his stable star Aspirate can expand his winning sequence in Launceston tonight and take winning form to Victoria where the gelding will line up in a benchmark race at Mornington on Wednesday week.

Aspirate has won four of his last five in Tasmania with the last three in succession. His latest win was in an open handicap over 1600m in Launceston five weeks ago, but Hamer says the gelded son of Moshe usually races well fresh and stepping back in distance should not be a problem.

“He always goes well fresh and I think he got beat a nose over 1000 metres when first-up last prep,” Hamer said.

“I only gave him 11 days off after his most recent start that he won quite convincingly so this race will do him more god than running in a trial.”

Hamer hopes Aspirate will make weight-for-age class and while that might still be a pipedream, the four-year-old has won eight times from 25 starts with six minor placings thrown in to take his stake earnings to beyond $130,000.

“The horse has definitely paid his way, but I do expect him to be running in the better class races next season.”

His main dangers tonight appear to be the Scott Brunton pair of Shot of Irish and laststart winner Ruettiger as well as Amaword that beat Uber Ed at his most recent outing.

Hamer saddles up Comiskey Park in race two, a maiden over 1400m and while his most recent form is ordinary, Hamer said the application of a tongue tie should improve the gelding. “Comiskey Park’s last two runs have been disappointing, but he had very good form during the winter and I’m hoping that will return on Saturday night,” he said.

“He hasn’t been breathing properly so we’ve given him a bit of a freshen-up and hopefully the application of a tongue tie will help because he choked down a couple times.”

Comiskey Park spent his early days in the care of Kris Lees but had one start for that trainer for a fifth at Cessnock before being moved on to Cody Morgan who gave him a trial at Scone then sold him to Hamer.

Coutinho did well when he first arrived at Hamer’s stables from the Anthony Freedman yard in Victoria in March last year. The gelding won first-up for Hamer in Devonport but other than a second five starts later he has shown very little worthwhile form.