3 minute read
Spreyton trainer Adam Trinder takes a strong team to the meeting in Launceston on Wednesday night with Wardell and The Risk Factor looming as two of the best bets on the nine-race card.
Wardell lines up in the benchmark 68 handicap over 1420m and he is aiming to register a hat-trick of wins with his latest in a benchmark 62 over 1420m four weeks ago, after which rider McCoull declared the gelded son of Clangalang had a bright future.
This is a tougher assignment with the Glenn Stevenson-trained Gregorian Chant an impressive last-start winner over the trip and her stablemate Rising Hsiang rates highly having been placed at four of his past five starts in similar grade.
The Risk Factor relished getting back to his pet distance of 2100m last start and while he steps up significantly in grade to (BM78) he has only a small field with which to contend.
If he is to progress to the minor cups leading up to the two Group 3 majors, he will probably need to win this latest assignment comfortably.
Encosta Fiorente has won his past two, the latest over 2100m in Hobart, so he needs to be considered even though this is a much stronger line-up.
Trinder's other each-way hopes are Needs Toasting (R1), Dolce Casa (R2), Tough Boy and Our Shinkansen (R5), Clifton Danseur (R7) and Incriminate (R8).
Hall of Fame trainer Bill Ryan always had high hopes for his erratic gelding Heza Charmer but after he finally broke his maiden status in Launceston two weeks ago the jury is still out on whether he has fully turned the corner.
The Needs Further four-year-old looked good in wining his maiden over 1420m and stepping up to 1620m should not be an issue.
Ryan has had a great association with 14 times premiership-winning jockey Brendon Mccoull who rode Heza Charmer at his past two starts but he already had a commitment to ride the Adam Trinder-trained Needs Toasting
"It looks like Adam has got under my neck and booked Brendon (McCoull) to ride his horse Needs Toasting, but we've been able to secure Bulent Muhcu so hopefully my horse will toast them," Ryan joked.
"I haven't done a lot with the horse since his win, just ticked him over because he is very fit.
"It has been well reported that this horse has been a lot of hard work, but he's had plenty of trials and a few races to try and educate him and it was so good for him to finally get a win last start.
"He still did a few things wrong last start so there is room for improvement and I'm banking on that win being a turning point in his racing career.
"Brendon rode this horse very early on and said he would win one or two but if I ever got his head right, he'd win at least a half-dozen."
Heza a Charmer will probably miss the start and settle near the rear in the field of 11 while the speedy Kay Oh Ell is likely to lead with Needs Toasting should be close to the speed.
If Muhcu can convince Heza a Charmer to settle he should be too strong for his rivals, but Needs Toasting has good manners and that could be the telling factor at the business end of the race.
