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The meeting in Hobart on Sunday turned into the Scott Brunton show with the state’s premier trainer delivering five winners on the eight-race program.
In Brief
- Big day out for Brunton stable in Hobart.
- Freak on a Lead shows promise.
- Apprentice snares double.
Scott Brunton was unable to attend the meeting because he remained in quarantine after having travelled to Melbourne with a small team two weeks ago with his partner Tegan Keys, their two children Charlie and Archie, along with two senior staff members.
They were on a flight when the Tasmanian government committed to shutting down the state's border to Victoria due to a serious COVID outbreak in that state.
"It was a good day for the stable, but all the credit has to go to the staff who did an amazing job getting everything done," Brunton said.
"To be literally four staff down and get everything done at the stables for the two weeks and get through the day (Sunday) without a hitch and get five winners as well was incredible.
"I am very lucky to have such loyal and talented staff."
One of the most impressive of his five winners was Freak on a Lead that made it back-to-back wins.
Freak on a Lead was coming off a maiden win on the synthetic in Devonport late last month, but this latest victory was even more impressive.
The gelded son of Moshe was well backed to start the $2.35 favourite, but he also had a bit or Irish luck in his favour.
One of the gelding's part-owners, Roberta Blacklow and her sister Jill McLaren attend every meeting at which one of their horses is racing and before the jockey is legged up in the mounting yard, Ms McLaren hands a four-leaf clover to her sister and she in turn hands it to the jockey who places it inside his or her riding boot.
Freak on a Lead with strapper Jess Bazan, part-owners Roberta Blackwell, Neil Walsh and Jill McLaren.
Freak on a Lead has been ridden by leading rider David Pires in both of his wins and he is only too pleased to accept the four-leaf clover.
"It's sort of like a tradition now, so I unzip my boot before I get to the area where we talk to the trainer and owners and put my hand out for the four-leaf clover and place it in my boot," Pires said.
"You need to take all the luck you can get in this game."
Pires needed some luck in the home straight as he had nowhere to go at one stage but when a gap appeared near the rail, he aimed his charge into the gap and the gelding did the rest.
Freak on a Lead went on to score comfortably from the well-backed Robben Island ($5.50) with Seguimientos ($7.50) in third to make it a stable trifecta.
Ms Blacklow said she has been racing horses on and off for about 50 years and is enjoying it as much now as when she started out.
Brunton's other winners were Brinktop Lad ($1.65f) in a 1200-metre maiden, lightly raced three-year-old We Deserve This ($2.50) in a 1400m maiden and Yarra Master ($3.10) won the maiden-class one over 1600m to give apprentice Erica Byrne-Burke the first leg of a riding double.
Byrne-Burke rode Brunton's fifth winner for the day in well-bred mare Kuroset ($2.45f) that powered home down the middle of the track to defeat Dunmining and Strategic Agenda.
