3 minute read
Glenn Stevenson’s class sprinter I’m Wesley bounced back from an almost two-year absence with a courageous second in the Newmarket Handicap two weeks ago and now he has set his sights on winning the weight-for-age Raynor Transport Conquering Stakes over 1400m in Launceston on Wednesday night.
In Brief
- I'm Wesley is as "bright as a button" after Newmarket says trainer.
- Wes aiming for his third Conquering trophy.
- Top four in racebook should fight it out.
I'm Wesley has long been one of Tasmania's most heralded sprinters with the three consecutive Newmarkets to his credit and two Conquering Stakes, the nine-year-old's feats are unequalled in feature sprint races.
After his gallant second in his fourth Newmarket appearance at his first start this preparation, the gelding has been prancing around his yards at Wesley Vale like a three-year-old and delivering track gallops like the I'm Wesley of old."
"This horse is as bright as a button and I don't think I've seen him feeling this happy since he was winning everything in sight," Stevenson said.
A hoof injury and a couple of other niggles kept him sidelined since February 2020 but now that's overcome all those hiccups, the path is clear to continue his charge towards the feature weight-for-age races during the Ladbrokes Tasmanian Summer of Racing.
If Wes takes his Newmarket form into this next assignment, he will go very close to winning his second Conquering.
In his way is pint-sized star The Inevitable who scored an impressive win in Devonport two starts back at the end of August.
His trainer Scott Brunton gave the gelded son of Dundeel a short let-up and he went into the Newmarket on the back of an 800-metre trial win in Hobart defeating Amaword and Shot of Irish.
He finished fourth in the Newmarket, and it was clearly one of the best efforts outside of the winner.
"I don't think I've had The Inevitable in any better shape going into a feature race," Brunton said.
The reigning premier trainer also saddles up Mandela Effect and Shot of Irish with Mandela Effect the more highly fancied of that duo.
Mandela Effect was sixth in the Newmarket but was doing his best work late to be less than three lengths from the winner and he will appreciate stepping up to 1400m.
Shot of Irish is no slouch as he was sixth of 13 in the Group 2 Feehan Stakes at Moonee Valley three starts back and was 1.4 lengths from the winner Superstorm.
The winner should come from the top four in the race book but if there was to be a turn-up it could come from the Tanya Hanson-trained And Beyond, even though he is terribly disadvantaged at weight-for-age.
And Beyond had no luck to finish eighth in the Newmarket and 2.75 lengths from the winner but he carried only 54.5kg that night and must lug 59kg in this, the same as all the well-performed weight-for-age horses in the race.
Pete Staples' Best Bets for Launceston, 15 December
Race 8 – 8. Summer FireRace 9 – 3. The Risk FactorQuaddie: 1,3/1,2,3,4/1,4,8/3,5: $48 for 100%.
