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In form stayer Eastender claimed a hat-trick of Tassie Cup wins and will now be aimed at loftier assignments after winning today’s Group 3 TAB Hobart Cup.
The lightly raced galloper, prepared by Spreyton trainer Barry Campbell, won the Devonport Cup then the Summer Cup here at Elwick as lead up to today’s feature.
And while today’s success was the highlight so far of the five-year-old's career, he will now have the bar raised as he targets the Group 3 Launceston Cup on Wednesday fortnight before a tilt at the Group 2 Adelaide Cup in March.
“We’ll head to Launceston then all going well we’ll head off to Adelaide,” Campbell said. “He’s only a young horse. He’s hasn’t had much racing and is only a baby.”
And Campbell has absolutely no doubt he will run the two miles in SA’s feature on March 11.
“I think he will absolutely love it.”
While Eastender had a clear margin at the finish of 1-1/2 lengths over Lamborghini and Appmat, who fought out the minors, Campbell was nervous his galloper had drifted too far back before the turn.
“He gets a 10/10,” Campbell said of jockey Craig Newitt’s ride. “He was a little far back. He was closer the other day and I was just hoping he knew what he was doing. Obviously he did because he saved a lot of ground on the corner.”
Newitt let Eastender find his feet but settled second last in run. But he crept closer before the bend and completely cut the corner, sprinting quickly and spearing to the lead. He packed too many guns in the run home to bring up another feature win.
The last horse to win the Devonport, Hobart and Launceston was Brallos in 1997, who in the same season won the Geelong Cup as well.
Eastender, a son of Tickets, was lot one at the Magic Millions yearling sales and bought by Denise Martin’s Star Thoroughbreds for $22,000.
Today’s win took his record to nine wins and four minors from 20 starts and over $350,000 in prizemoney.
