Promising filly Taroona took her strong synthetic form to turf at Hobart last Sunday, taking the feature $45,000 Carbine Club 3YO Winter Classic over 1390 metres.
The Barry Campbell-trained daughter of Rebel Dane had won her past three outings on the Devonport carpet, with a sound fourth at Hobart in between, and was untroubled leading throughout under Troy Baker to make it four wins from her past five outings.
Taroona started a $5.50 favourite in the six-horse field, with the John Blacker-trained $1.24 favourite Daytona Diva running third. Splitting them was the $91 outsider The Little Bay.
While Blacker came up short in the main race, he was still the standout performer at the Hobart meeting, preparing three winners.
Light Work opened Blacker’s account leading and fighting on under Sam Kennedy to take the maiden plate over 1600 metres.
It was a deserved win for the daughter of Dirty Work, who had placed at four of her six previous outings.
The state’s leading trainer next combined with Lauryn Bingley to take the 1200-metre maiden plate with stable newcomer Alpine Ruby.
The daughter of Alpine Eagle was never likely at her Sale debut for Adele Garraway in April and was unwanted in betting at her first Tasmanian outing ($21-$31) but came from just off the pace to score decisively.
Blacker’s third victor, Wild Nights, also overcame a noted drift in betting ($10-$21), settling handy under Bingley before scraping home in the Class 2 handicap over 1100 metres.
The daughter of Stratosphere had scored at a similarly juicy price at the same track a fortnight earlier and is set to back up this weekend in a Class 4 handicap over 1150 metres at Devonport.
More joy for Jabez, Jacko
Tasmanian apprentices Jabez Johnstone and Jackson Radley continue to impress interstate, each notching a brace of wins at Flemington last Saturday.
Both Johnstone’s wins came for his master, Ciaron Maher, with Decalogue box-seating before scoring a dominant win in the Ken Cox Handicap over 2000 metres and Ten Commandments coming from midfield to take the Country Achiever Cindy Alderson over 1420 metres.
Radley’s winners were also prepared by his masters, the Hayes brothers. He kicked off with Stylish, who enjoyed a good trail before proving too strong in the Bruce Gadsden Handicap over 1420 metres. His second winner, Seafall, arrived right on the line in the David Bourke over 1620 metres.