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Consistent two-year-old Vokes looms as one of the best bets on the nine-event card in Launceston on Wednesday night.
The Leanne Gaffney-trained filly has only been to the races three times for three thirds, but against stronger opposition than she meets in this latest assignment.
Vokes debuted with a third to Geegee Jet By in a maiden in Hobart in mid-November and followed up with a third to the same horse in the $30,000 Alfa Bowl in Launceston (1100m) three weeks later.
Gaffney gave the filly a let-up and she delivered a game effort to finish third, beaten a length, to Blonde Venture and Jaguar Stone that dead-heated in the Tasmanian Magic Millions 2YO Classic last Sunday week.
It is a Tasbred Bonus race and that was the lure for connections who stand to pocket upwards of $31,000 and the breeder will collect $4000.
The balance of the field of 10 are first-starters with the Glenn Stevenson-trained Emphatic Bel (main picture) the best-performed at the trials.
The daughter of Belardo was second in her first outing at Longford and two weeks ago she won a trial at the same venue defeating Bokeo and Shooting North, clocking a time of 43.84s over the 730-metre trip.
"I was pleased with this filly's last trial at Longford and if she puts it all together on Wednesday night, I think she can win, but Leanne Gaffney's filly (Vokes) has good race form and is obviously the one to beat," Stevenson said.
The last race on the program is a benchmark 76 handicap over 1100m with the Stephen Lockhart-trained Sellick aiming to make it a hat-trick of wins.
Sellick won two starts back in a 0-62 over 1100m in Launceston on 19 January and followed up with a similar effort to win a benchmark 68 over 1200m.
He drops back to 1100m but having won in soft going he is likely to start favourite over the Siggy Carr-trained Bandinelli that failed last start when fourth of six in this grade behind the highly promising Hellova Night.
On exposed form, the best three winning chances are Sellick, Bandinelli and Gee Gee True Story.
Peter Staples' tips for the Launceston program.
R1: 10-7-4-8.
R2: 3-4-1-7.
R3: *3-4-9-1.
R4: 10-5-1-6.
R5: 3-9-10-2.
R6: 1-9-6-3.
R7: 3-7-9-1.
R8: 1-5-4-7.
R9: 3-2-6-4.
Best Bets: R1 Vokes (10) and Race 3 Peace Be Upon Him (3).
Quaddie: 1,3,6,9/1,3,7,9/1,4,5/2,3. $96 for 100%.
