John Keys celebrated a two-state quartet last Sunday with a trio of victors at Hobart followed by success in the $175,000 Swan Hill Cup.
He set the tone in the opening event of the day at Hobart, a maiden plate over 1380 metres, with sparingly raced three-year-old filly Jedd’s Jet finishing off hard from the back under Sam Kennedy to clear maiden ranks at just her third attempt.
Keys next combined with Tassie’s leading hoop Erica Byrne Burke to take the benchmark 68 handicap over 2100 metres with Goddess Of Rock, who came from midfield to make it two straight wins over that route.
The win was the first leg of a double for Byrne Burke, who later took the benchmark 60 handicap over 1600 metres aboard Matthew Brown’s in-form Cranbourne mare Quafftide.
Quafftide’s win completed a hat-trick for the daughter of Divine Prophet who’s been campaigning successfully in Tasmania since February, with five wins, two thirds and a fourth from eight starts.
Kennedy was again up top for Key’s final victor at Hobart, Furneaux, who enjoyed a box-seat trail from the inside alley before scraping home over Billie The Great in the benchmark 68 handicap over 1200 metres.
Keys took the Swan Hill Cup later in the day with Cartoon Graveyard, who settled at the rear from his wide gate under Craig Newitt before storming home down the outside fence to get up in the last couple of bounds.
The Turffontein gelding had looked a good thing beaten at Caulfield the previous week — badly held up before surging late to miss narrowly.
It has been a lucrative season interstate for the rising seven-year-old as he took the Murray Bridge Cup in a brief stint with Will Clarken last spring.