Sparingly raced four-year-old Vino Novello announced himself as one of the most promising stayers in the state last Friday night, taking the $50,000 Tasmanian St Leger (2400m) at just his 10th appearance at Launceston.
The John Blacker-trained Vino Rosso gelding enjoyed a one-out, one-back trail under Erica Byrne Burke before proving too strong for last season’s Launceston Cup winner, Distrustful Award. They gapped the others.
Blacker was quietly confident of gaining the desired result and scratched his other two acceptors in the race, Wineglass Bay (who ran a creditable fourth in the Yarra Valley Cup last Sunday) and Launceston Cup runner-up Zulu Angel, who will line up in a benchmark 78 handicap over 2400 metres at Caulfield this Saturday.
Jett, Jabez star under lights
Launceston Cup-winning hoop Jett Stanley kept up his hot form in the Apple Isle at last Friday night’s meeting with a trio of wins kicked off by the Matthew Brown-prepared Veins Within Rock, who was always travelling in the 1600-metre maiden, clearing maiden out late to win by almost 10 lengths.
Stanley next guided Kelvin Hamilton’s classy charge Just Cruisin’ to an overdue win in the Class 4 handicap over 1400 metres.
The gelded son of Street Boss had been game in defeat behind local star Durazzo in the Newmarket, Conquering and The Inevitable Stakes at his first three runs this prep before unplaced runs in the Thomas Lyons and Hellova Street Stakes.
He relished the sharp drop in grade on Friday, leading throughout for a soft five-length win, and is likely to make his next appearance across Bass Strait.
Stanley again combined with Brown to complete his treble aboard Quafftide, who came from midfield for a comfortable 1½-length win in the Class 1 handicap over 1400 metres.
Leading apprentice Jabez Johnstone shared the riding honours, kicking off with the Sarah Cotton-trained Dizz Boogie Time, who scored a strong on-pace maiden win over 1200 metres at just her second appearance.
He then completed a running double aboard John Keys’s promising filly Zambezi Blonde, who enjoyed a nice trail just off the pace before taking the Class 1 handicap over the same trip.
Johnstone again teamed with Cotton to take the final event on the card, a benchmark 60 handicap also over 1200 metres, with ex-Victorian mare Sevillana who proved too strong despite facing the breeze at her second local outing.