Victorian duo Craig and Abbey Turnbull claimed another Group 3 Tasmanian feature race win when Okanui Beach scored in the $60,000 Prydes Easifeed Dandy Patch Final (2090m) for the Tasbred 2YO Colts and geldings on Saturday night in Hobart.
From the pole draw, Abbey was able to hold the lead on the $1.50 favourite and was kept honest in the middle stages, with Mel Rusty Kita inclined to over-race outside the leader.
The Downbytheseaside gelding kicked away from his rivals from the 600m and raced away in the home straight to record an effortless 23.9m win over Post Lazarus ($11) and Hes First Class ($14).
The mile rate of 1:59.6s broke Usain Jolt’s race record of 2:00.3s, which was set in 2016, and was only 0.1s outside of Cody Maverick’s two-year-old age record for 2090m, which he set in 2008.
“He was a bit of a hard watch early as he was a bit sparked up behind the gate,” Craig said after the win.
“He has got plenty of speed. He has just got to settle down, and then he will make a nice horse.
“He might have one more start and try to get our Vicbred bonus and then go for a long spell. Then, he might have a light prep and then be aimed up for the features down here next year,” the trainer explained.
Craig and Abbey ended the night with a double when four-year-old gelding Binalong Week ($1.55 fav) won his fourth race in a row by 13.6m when leading all the way in a 64 to 79 rated event.
“His legs aren’t the best but everything is good at the moment and if we can keep him in one piece I’m sure he can win a few more.
“While he is on a good grade, I think he will be a good country cup horse. If he found the front on some of those smaller tracks he will be pretty hard to get around,” said Craig.
Cavalor Tasmanian Oaks
The Emma Stewart trained Waterfront ($1.05 fav) continued her unbeaten record in Australia intact when leading all the way in the Group 3 Cavalor Tasmanian Oaks (2090m).
In what was the biggest race win for driver Tiarna Ford, the Downbytheseaside filly was able to lead uncontested and got away with an extremely slow lead time of 39.9s before running a 63.9s first half-mile. She increased the tempo to run 26.9s and 27.6s on her way to a 7.9m win over Shes A Tiny Dancer ($26) and Free To Play ($21) in a mile rate of 2:01.9s.
“She got a bit keen out of the gate, so I had to slow her down, and I didn’t want her to nick off on me.
“But she is quick and has a real good turn of foot,” Ford said after the win.
“Massive thanks to Emma and Clayton (Tonkin) for giving me the opportunity to drive a horse like this in a Group race. It’s a massive thrill.
“Clayton rang me when they brought her down in late August and said that it was a thank you for using my sulky when they have come down in recent times, and that is how they have repaid me, and I’m very thankful,” Tarn explained.
Despite her success in Tasmania, it was the first Tasmanian Oaks win for trainer Emma Stewart.
Cavalor Tasmanian Derby
It was the case of third time lucky in a Derby race for Always B Miki colt Kingman, who claimed the 2579m Cavalor Tasmanian Derby.
The Emma Stewart-trained gelding galloped in the Queensland Derby in July, and was held up running sixth in last month’s Victorian Derby before claiming Saturday night’s Tassie feature.
Driver Allan McDonough worked forward on the $1.05 favourite in the early stages to find the lead near the 2100m, where he was allowed to bowl along in the lead.
McDonough kicked on the pacer near the 500m, where he put a handy break on his rivals, which Collective Works ($26) cut down to 3.8m. Our Luciano was 22.9m away third.
The mile rate of 1:57.5 equalled the track record held by Willie Go West and broke the race and three-year-old aged record held by Maretai when winning the 2018 Derby.
“He had no luck in Queensland when he galloped at the start when we thought he could win, and he drew bad and ended up back on the fence and was probably the unlucky runner of the race in the victoria Derby,” McDonough said after the win.
“Tonight, he had a better barrier draw than his better opposition, and he still had his earplugs in.
“I didn’t want to make it a dash home, but we still ran a 54.6s half, but I wanted to keep it solid, one thing about our horses is they are tough, and they are solid, and they are used to running the distance, and I knew that wasn’t going to be a query for him,” the driver explained.
The win was McDonough’s third in the race. He drove Celebrity Royal to win last year’s race and trained Im Mark Antony to win it in 2008.
It was also the third win for trainer Emma Stewart, who trained Celebrity Royal last year, and Maraetai in 2018.
Prydes Evicus
Father-and-son duo Steven and Brodie Davis claimed their first Tasbred final win when Barbary Tales ($9.00) scored in the Prydes Evicus (1609m) for the two-year-old fillies.
Brodie kept the daughter of For A Reason out of trouble in the early stages to settle in a mid-field position before getting three-wide cover near the 600m.
The filly was still in a mid-field position at the 400m, where she let down well off the track to get the job done by 8m over Smiling Mia ($11) and Itsmenotu ($15) in a new race record of 1:57.5s, with the time for the mile just 0.5s outside of the two-year-old fillies aged record.
“We expected her to go well, and I just told Brodie to drive her how we work her, get a sit and let her run home, and if she is good enough, she will beat them,” said Steven post-race.
“I don’t push the babies hard, but the feel that she gives me is a bit like what Modern Ruler had, but she still has a bit of a way to go yet.
“We broke her in, and she did that nice, and she was always a filly that wanted to be your friend, and everything you tried to teach her she was happy to go along with, and she is a pleasure to train really.
“There’s nothing else for her this season, so she will go to the paddock now. She is highly rated now, so it makes it limited for her, we will concentrate on the better fillies races next season.
The filly is raced by long-time owner John “Charlie” Huston.
