The heats of the Group 3 Nutrien Ag Solutions Tassie Golden Apple (2200m) headline Sunday night’s nine-race card in Launceston.
Well-travelled trainer Conor Crook is currently located in Tasmania and will be hoping his two runners, Glenledi Elvis and Magnetic Terror, can qualify for next week’s $50,000 Final.
Glenledi Elvis has already collected plenty of silverware over the past 12 months, with wins in the $14,994 Leeton Cup, $60,000 Murray Cup in Albury, and $12,000 Wangaratta Cup.
The five-year-old gelding will contest the first heat, his fourth start since joining the Crook stable.
“He is a nice horse. He is still raw and learning too.
One challenge could be the standing start, with the gelding taking two trials to be qualified from the tapes.
“We had a key driver change at the trials this week as I had to call upon Rohan Hillier’s expertise. He was slow but safe away, and as it was his last chance to qualify for this week’s race, so Rohan just made sure he stepped.
“I’m sure he’ll be quicker this week. He follows a couple of good beginners, and he’s been getting better all the time at home looking at the tapes,” Crook explained.
The trial on Monday night at Carrick was behind Blitzern, who is also engaged in the Apple heats, with the trial coming the day after he finished third in a mobile start Free For All in Launceston, where he was checked early. He then raced wide over the final lap, with the Tasracing Calculated Sectionals recording his last half in 56.70s, the quickest of the meeting. The trainer expects the pacer to perform well on Sunday.
“I think if he’s close enough they’ll definitely know he’s in it.
In the second heat, Crook has Magnetic Terror engaged, with the pacer winning the Metropolitan Cup in Hobart six starts ago and has been placed in three runs since.
“He is a bit of a tricky horse. It’s hard to find a balance between racing well in mobiles and trying to settle him back down for stand starts. I’ll shut my eyes early, but I am optimistic that he will step better.
“He’s certainly up to them. He’s in the same boat as Elvis. If he steps and is close enough, he should find the line nicely,” said the trainer.
Jordan Chibnall will drive both of Crook’s horses.
Making the trip across Bass Strait this year to contest the Tassie Golden Apple are Victorian trainers Dean Braun and Emma Stewart.
Braun has James In Charge (winner of four races from 10 starts) and Franco Promachos (winner of three of four starts) engaged in the series, while Stewart has former Group 1 winner Beyond Delight engaged. He was runner-up in the Ballarat Cup earlier this year and was 16m behind Leap To Fame in the Hunter Cup.
The Tassie Golden Apple was created in 2018 and was touted to replace the Easter Cup in time as the Launceston Pacing Club’s premier race. Still, this years series sees 12 of the 23 starters in the heats racing above the minimum 80 rating.
