Tassie’s top mare Geegees Mistruth was back to her better form last Saturday, running a slashing second in the $300,000 Group 2 Herald Sun Sprint over 1000 metres at Caulfield.
The daughter of Wordsmith, who’s been in the care of Mark Walker for her Victorian spring campaign, settled further back than expected off a tardy beginning then charged late under Patrick Moloney and just missed Rey Magnerio, who overcame a chequered passage to secure the win.
Three more for EBB
Erica Byrne-Burke kept up her excellent start to the season with a trio of victors at Launceston last Friday night.
She opened her account on the Adam Trinder-trained Skelmorlie, who notched an overdue first success in the maiden/Class 1 plate over 1600 metres.
The Needs Further mare was ridden cold from her wide draw and it was a carbon copy of Byrne-Burke’s ride on the final victor at the same track the Sunday prior — she stuck hard against the rail and didn’t go around a rival before prevailing narrowly over on-pacer Rippen Gold.
Byrne-Burke then completed a running double aboard the Graeme McCulloch-prepared roughie Halen ($15), who cleared maiden ranks over 1200 metres at his 16th attempt.
Better known as a backmarker, the gelded son of Stratosphere was ridden more forward in a race devoid of pace on paper and proved too tough despite facing the breeze.
The state’s leading hoop would’ve made it three wins in a row if not for losing the third event on the card, a Class 1 plate over 1400 metres, in the stewards’ room.
She had led throughout on the Imogen Miller-trained Navarre River but the Spirit Of Boom gelding laid out on top of Trent Wells-trained favourite It’s Jagger Time and the result was reversed.
Byrne-Burke completed her treble aboard another Trinder rep, Red Sphere, who enjoyed a one-out, one-back trail before proving too strong in the benchmark 60 handicap over 1200 metres.