Apprentice Catherine Van Munster put in a career-best performance at Hobart last Sunday, notching her first double.
She kicked off in the opening event on the card, a maiden plate over 1000 metres, aboard the John Luttrell-trained Outbush, who was specked at healthy odds ($13-$7.50).
The Wordsmith gelding had little luck from wide draws at his first two runs this prep but from the inside gate last Sunday was able to hold the front and fend his rivals off in the drive to the line.
The three-kilo claimer guided John Blacker’s promising filly Magnolia Sky to a tough on-pace win in the Class 2 handicap over 1200 metres.
The daughter of Magnus faded from on speed at her first start but has won all three subsequent outings and appears to have a very bright future.
The win also provided Blacker with a double as he’d won earlier with Araya Sunshine, who came with a well timed run under Erica Byrne Burke to blouse race favourite Flying Billie in the benchmark 68 handicap over 1430 metres.
Bulent Muhcu shared riding honours with Van Munster, his brace of wins headed by the Bradley Franklin-prepared roughie Miss Keeds ($21), who proved too strong despite being posted wide on speed in the benchmark 68 handicap over 1100 metres.
Muhcu on the next aboard Angela Brakey’s talented former Victorian Coal River, who dispelled any doubts on his ability to run 1600-metres with a dominant all-the-way four-length win in Class 4 company.
Believe in Mistruth
It could be a big day for former Tasmanians at Caulfield this Saturday with former Stuart Gandy rep Geegees Mistruth a leading chance in the $750,000 Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m).
The daughter of Wordsmith, now in the hands of Mark Walker, has found a stakes win elusive on the mainland but looked a good thing licked when resuming in the listed W.J. Adams Stakes (1000m), where she found trouble early in the straight before launching late to miss narrowly.
The added 100 metres of Saturday’s assignment suits nicely and, while the inside gate may not be ideal, if Michael Dee can find clear air she should take plenty of holding out.
Tassie boy Craig Newitt also looks a chance to provide former King Islander Ken Keys with his first Group 1 success when his promising juvenile Alibaba tackles the $2 million Blue Diamond over 1200 metres.
The Alabama Express colt will need luck from gate 17 but also looked stiff at his most recent outing, in the Inglis Millennium, where he was held up at a key stage before surging from the back to finish a close-up third.
He looks over the odds at the current quote of $18.