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Tasmanian trainer Adam Trinder has two fillies set to continue his sizzling run of summer success in Sunday’s $100,000 Tasmanian Oaks at Mowbray.
Trinder, a member of one of Tasmania’s best known racing families, is enjoying a summer to remember thanks to his stable stars Mystic Journey and her younger three-quarter sister Mystical Pursuit.
Mystic Journey, winner of eight of her 11 starts, is ranked among the leading three-year-olds in the country and will be strongly favoured to win next weekend’s $1 million Australian Guineas at Flemington while the unbeaten Mystical Pursuit is the top rating 2YO in Tasmania this season after winning her first four starts.
Our Long Sali finished second to Rock Dove in the Listed Strutt Stakes (2100m) at Elwick in Hobart on February 10 but had no luck from a wide barrier when forced to cover extra ground and was then held up at a crucial late stage of the race.
It was her fourth successive minor placing that included seconds in the Listed Tasmanian Guineas (1600m) at Elwick and 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Mowbray.Secret Gold is stepping up to black type company for the first time but has a win in three placings from her last four starts including a second over the Oaks course.and distance.
“Secret Gold deserves her place in the field because she has shown a liking for the longer distances,” Trinder said.“She should acquit herself well but Our Long Sali has the superior form in the better races.
“She will give the race a shake if she has better luck than at her past two outings.“If she can be saved for a sustained sprint to the line the others will know they are in a race.”
The Trinder stablemates make up half the local contingent in the Oaks with seven of the 11 fillies coming from interstate led by Rock Dove.Trainer James Cummings left Rock Dove in Tasmania after her Strutt Stakes win and she has had two gallops on the Launceston track in the past week to prepare for the Oaks.
“Rock Dove has done very well since her win in Hobart,” said Godolphin’s travelling foreman Necim Dilmi.“She has been to the Launceston track twice to gallop on the grass, giving her an advantage over the other interstate horses.”
Top Tasmanian jockey Brendon McCoull rode Rock Dove in the Strutt Stakes and has retained the Oaks ride.The other big local hope is the John Blacker-trained Glass Warrior, who returns to her own sex after finishing second to another Godolphin 3YO Cossetot in the Tasmanian Derby (2200m) at Elwick on February 8.
