3 minute read

Hall of Fame trainer Barry Campbell is looking forward to saddling up his first runner at the races in over two years in Devonport on Sunday.

In Brief

• Alpine Wolf should give Campbell the desired result.
• Talented 2YO has improved since his debut win.
• And Beyond out to make it six from six.

Campbell has only one runner, Alpine Wolf, that contests The Ladbrokes 2YO Handicap over 1009 metres, and the bad news for his opposition is that the trainer says he has most likely improved on what he delivered on debut two weeks ago.

"He is a very good horse that has a faultless action, and on his work, I think he is a huge chance to win again,"Barry Campbell said.

"I haven't had to do a lot with him since his debut run.

"He had a gallop on Tuesday, and he's only done evens since then, but he is very fit, and he is such a beautiful-actioned horse."

Campbell said Alpine Wolf will more than likely head to the paddock after Sunday's run.

"I'm fairly sure we will tip Alpine Wolf out after Sunday, and we'll be very light-on for runners for a few weeks.

"I've got 16 horses in work, but I probably won't have another runner until we show Freelancer in a few weeks."

While Campbell is confident Alpine Wolf can head to the paddock undefeated, the Adam Trinder-trained Miss Charlie Brown is very smart and could show up fresh.

Miss Charlie Brown won at her first two starts late last year and went on to finish second to the state's best-performed youngster Turk Warrior in the $100,000 Listed Elwick Stakes and ended her preparation with a fourth to the same horse in the $150,000 Gold Sovereign Stakes.

The filly was purchased as a potential staying filly that is likely to be aimed at the Tasmanian Oaks, but she has been proficient over the shorter trips and must be respected.

The Cameron Thompson-trained Coeur De Lyon was impressive in winning a 2YO maiden over 1009m in good time last start and his trial recently in Devonport will have tuned him up perfectly for this assignment.

But Alpine Wolf still looms as one of the best bets on the huge 10-race card, along with the Ken and Tanya Hanson-trained And Beyond that lines up as top weight in the final event of the day, the Nova Design and Print benchmark 78 handicap over 1350m.

And Beyond is unbeaten from five starts including a win at Sandown in Victoria two starts back, and he is expected to return to Melbourne for a race at Caulfield, two weeks after this Sunday's outing.