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Hela best on the card at Elwick

3 minute read

The best bet on the program at Elwick on Sunday is the Scott Brunton-trained filly Hela that will be aiming to keep her unbeaten record intact.

HELA.
HELA. Picture: Tas Racing

In Brief

  • Unbeaten filly looks set be keep her record intact.
  • Dropping back in distance no issue for Hela.
  • Gandy's Trendsetter set for first-up win.


Hela has won five with the attest a $100,000 Listed race (Strutt Stakes) over 2100m at Elwick early last month.

She had a mortgage on the Tasmania Oaks but Scott Brunton opted to give her a break and instead aim her at the $500,000 Australasian Oaks at Morphettville (SA) on May 1.

Despite dropping back from 2100m to 1400m, the filly is all class and this looks an ideal starting point for her return to racing after a short let-up.

"The filly will go to a benchmark 84 at Elwick in three weeks and then head to Adelaide," Brunton said.

ONE of trainer Stuart Gandy's most consistent sprinters Geegee Trendsetter resumes in race seven, in what looks a very winnable race for the talented mare.

Geegee Trendsetter lines up in an open handicap over 1100 metres (race 7) that boasts a small field of seven.

The daughter of Wordsmith hasn't raced since early November when fourth of five in a benchmark 84 handicap at Elwick but the six-year-old goes into today's assignment on the back of an impressive trial win at Elwick 12 days ago.

"I was very pleased with the mare's trial going into this race and it doesn't look an overly hard race for her to win," Gandy said.

"She has done everything I've asked of her leading up to this race and I'd say she is definitely fit enough to win first-up."

Gandy also saddles up two first starters in the 2YO Handicap over 1100 metres which is the first race on the eight-event card.

Geegeeluckystar (Wordsmith-Miss Mana) is a recent trial winner and he defeated Gandy's other runner Spelling Bee (Wordsmith-Beryl Bee) with only a long neck separating the pair.

"Both of my two-year-olds were late maturers and they are both likely to be better suited over a longer trip but in saying that they trialed well and have come on since the trial.

Spelling Bee has probably drawn the best in gate three but Geegeeluckystar showed good early speed in his trial and should be able to get across from his wider barrier (6).

Gandy said Geegeeluckystar was probably slightly more advanced than his stablemate, but he expects them both to be very competitive.

The Patrick Dargan-trained Fighting Styx is the most experienced of the seven acceptors and should have benefitted from her first-up fifth to Miss Tuppence in Launceston three weeks ago.

The Terry Evans-trained Need a Flutter also makes her debut, and she was third in her only trial behind Geegeeluckystar and Spelling Bee.

The filly is by Needs Further from a Casino Prince mare that Evans raced only twice before a hoof injury ended her racing career after only three starts.

 


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