Unbeaten juvenile Geegees Mistruth appears to have a challenger for Tasmanian two-year-old of the year following a brilliant win by Ms Tasmania in the $85,000 2YO Magic Millions (1200m) at Launceston last Sunday.
Ridden and trained by Siggy Carr, the daughter of Magnus settled midfield and in a roughhouse affair was bumped on several occasions as she attempted to find clear air, but once into the open she put her rivals away in a couple of strides before scoring a soft 2¼-length victory.
The win was Carr’s biggest as a trainer and all going well we’ll get the opportunity to see Tassie’s two top youngsters clash in the Gold Sovereign Stakes over the coming Launceston Cup carnival.
David Pires was the standout jockey at the meeting, take four of the nine races on the card including the other two features.
Pires’s day was highlighted by Cartoon Graveyard, who took the $75,000 Magic Millions race for three- and four-year-olds over 1400 metres.
Despite drawing wide Pires was able to slot the John Keys-prepared Turffontein gelding into a box-seat trail behind leader and short-priced favourite D’Oro Star.
When that galloper booted for home on straightening it appeared as though rider Craig Newitt had set up an unassailable lead, but Cartoon Graveyard kept eating into the margin under the urgings of Pires, arriving in the last couple of bounds.
Pires and Keys then made it a running double with I’m So Cool taking the $50,000 Sydeston Cup over 2100 metres.
The Alpine Eagle gelding settled outside leader and race favourite Conumdrum before proving too strong in the run to the line, scoring by a neck over the fave with Vintage Diesel a nose further back in a tight three-way finish.
That win made it a treble for Pires and Keys as they won earlier with Happy Clan, who enjoyed a box-seat trail before taking the maiden/Class 1 plate over 2100 metres.
Pires later produced the ride of the day in the final event on the card, a benchmark 64 handicap over 1600 metres, aboard the Stuart Gandy-trained Geegees Hisword.
The warmly supported Wordsmith gelding ($4.60-$3.20 favourite) settled a clear last but as the field fanned on the home turn Pires saved valuable ground sticking to the inside rail. When the leader drifted off the fence in the home straight his mount was presented with a saloon passage before finishing off strongly for a narrow win.