3 minute read

The track

Rail true, good 4. Credit to all those involved with producing Wednesday night's surface. It looked a million dollars, and it raced that way. Winners came from forward and back as well as on and away from the inside rail.

Brendon McCoull

What a return from the champion jockey who had three rides on the program and left with three winners. All three of his rides were flawless but I thought his ability to land in the one-one position from barrier 10 on Michbar was particularly brilliant.

Brendon Mccoull had a winning strike rate of 25.4% last season and although his minimum riding weight limits the number of rides he can get, it's not that far-fetched to think he could win an amazing 15th premiership despite a late start to the season.

Our top apprentices have outridden some or all of their claim which diminishes their potential premiership advantage, and in the senior ranks David Pires and Siggy Carr would appear the main dangers.

Belpine Miss R1 – Maiden (1200m)

I highlighted the now invisible run of Belpine Miss when she was deemed a scratching in Devonport, and she retains her black booker status after another cracking run in defeat.

Belpine Miss went back from a wide gate but again didn't show any type of gate speed which is clearly an area that will need to be improved upon. Chelsea Baker opted to circle the field and come to the extreme outside and despite running the fastest last 400m and 200m Stridemaster Sectionals of the program, the 4YO mare could manage no better than fifth.

Easy in hindsight, but Goes Like The Wind who finished one place ahead in fourth, was also well back in the field and opted to stick to the inside and got within 0.4-lengths of the winner despite running the final 200m a length slower than Belpine Miss.

For the second straight start it's one that got away for Belpine Miss and unfortunately for punters involved here, she's unlikely to be anywhere near $12 next start.

There are 54 days until the first black-type race of the Carnival, the Listed Newmarket Handicap, and while the highest rated race on Wednesday night was a BM68, we may have received a taste of what's to come.

Michbar carried 60.5kg to victory in that 1100m BM68 and after the race trainer Adam Trinder told TasracingTV that the Newmarket may be a genuine option for the 5YO gelding who entered Wednesday night with a benchmark rating of 71.

"We definitely don't have the top liners that have been around for the past few seasons.

"That's a race that Bello Beau might even find himself in as a three-year-old which is my feelings on the race this year," said Trinder also referencing last season's star 2YO who is nominated for an open handicap this coming Wednesday.

Based on the time he ran on Wednesday night, Michbar certainly appears a live Newmarket contender. His 1.03.21 is just over a length outside the 1100m track record held by Deroche who of course won last year's Newmarket.

The win of Michbar was the second half of a double for Trinder following the win of Needs Toasting earlier in the night. Across the last four meetings Trinder has eight winners from just 19 runners indicating his team are certainly firing on all cylinders.

Biggest Tasracing Official Price movers

• Race 1 – Piiink Beauty $3.1 into $2.05. 1st
• Race 7 – Shake Your Tooshy $4.8 into $2.9. 4th
• Race 3 – Eagle Street $4.4 into $2.8. 2nd
• Race 7 – Nev's Boy $5 out to $14. 8th
• Race 8 – Twee $3.6 into $2.5. 1st
• Race 8 – Monte Bianco $3.9 out to $7. 2nd
• Race 2 – Her Thoughts $2.3 out to $3. 5th
• Race 1 – Londiani $5 out to $10. 7th
• Race 5 – Michbar $3 out to $4.2. 1st
• Race 3 – Duncannon $7 out to $21. 6th