It was a tough day for punters at Hobart last Sunday, with only one favourite successful on the eight-event card, but followers of Barry Campbell and Erice Byrne Burke had plenty to celebrate.
Campbell was successful with the only two runners he saddled up at the meeting, kicking off with Alpine Trout in the maiden/Class 1 plate over 2100 metres.
The Alpine Eagle gelding failed to finish off when back in trip on the Devonport synthetic the previous week but on his return to turf was always travelling strongly in midfield under David Pires before finishing off hard to prevail narrowly.
The Hall of Fame trainer completed his double with the super-honest Shy Guy, who dug deep to lead throughout in the Class 4 handicap over 1600 metres with Kelvin Sanderson in the saddle.
Byrne Burke took riding honours at the meeting with a trio of healthy-priced winners headed by the Yassy Nishitani-prepared Sakura Hime ($31), who came from a seemingly hopeless position to clear maiden ranks over 1400 metres.
The daughter of Invader struggled to stay in touch with the field in the early stages and was still four lengths behind the second-last horse approaching the home turn, but Byrne Burke saved valuable ground on straightening before weaving a passage through the field to score impressively.
Byrne Burke’s second win came on John Blacker’s ex-Victorian mare Sister Royal ($9), who also came from the back to take the Class 1 handicap over the same trip.
The former Melody Cunningham rep is now unbeaten from two local runs, with Byrne Burke aboard on each occasion.
Byrne Burke then made it a running double aboard the Imogen Milller-prepared Fighting Floyd ($10), who appreciated a strong tempo up front when coming from midfield to take the benchmark 68 handicap over 1400 metres.
Don’t miss ’Truth
Top local mare Geegees Mistruth kicks off her Victorian spring campaign in the $200,000 Group 3 Cockram Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield this Saturday.
She faces a cracking line-up headed by dual Group 1 winner Magic Time, but the Stuart Gandy-trained daughter of Wordsmith draws kindly in gate five, will have the services of regular hoop Anthony Darmanin and is yet to miss the quinella when new.
She’s been trialling well ahead of her return and looks great each-way value at the current quote of $17.