Dakasha Nearing Peak for Hobart Cup
- Monday, 24 January 2005 00:00
South Australian trainer Leon Macdonald will push forward to the $200,000 Group 3 AAMI Hobart Cup with his quality mare Dakasha despite her failing to place in the Group 3 Queen’s Cup (2100m) in Launceston last Sunday.
Dakasha rattled home late to finish on the heels of the placegetters in the Queen’s Cup in what was her first lead-up race to the AAMI Hobart Cup.
“I think it is fair to say the mare was a victim of circumstances in the Queen’s Cup but all is not lost because the AAMI Hobart Cup has always been her main mission,” Macdonald said.
“The mare has settled in really well at Gary White’s stable and we’ll now press on to the weight-for-age St Leger (2100m) in Launceston in a fortnight and that should have her at her peak for the Hobart Cup,” he said.
Macdonald enjoyed success at last year’s carnival with Almost Never who won the Tasmanian Derby, but despite the gelding being in top form this preparation the trainer confirmed the Derby winner would not be a first acceptor for the AAMI Hobart Cup.
“The owners of Almost Never have decided against travelling the horse so he’s definitely not coming for the cups,” he said.
While Dakasha was unlucky in the Queen’s Cup, the winner of the race Midnight Escapade, from the Charlie Goggin stable, has emerged as a genuine lightweight chance in the AAMI Hobart Cup.
Midnight Escapade produced her customary whirlwind finish in the Queen’s Cup to come from last nearing the home turn to score by 1-1/4 lengths from Dream Quest with Bay Ritz almost two lengths away, third.
Goggin is thinking seriously about the possibilities of winning his third AAMI Hobart Cup with the five-year-old mare.
“I have no doubt she is a Mowbray specialist but the owners might prefer to head to the Hobart Cup and that’s a serious option as that race has been reduced to 2100m and she has a light weight,” Goggin said.
“But that’s not to say she won’t get the 2400m of the AAMI Launceston Cup, so we have a few options,” he said.
Midnight Escapade was handicapped to carry 51kg in the AAMI Hobart Cup but she has incurred a 1.5kg penalty for the Queen’s Cup win.
Victorian trainer Peter Moody confirmed he still has four or five of his eight AAMI Hobart Cup nominations in the mix. However, his talented mare Sky Love was no longer a consideration and will now be spelled.
“Highclere ran a good race on Saturday over 2400m, so he’ll definitely be accepting for the Hobart Cup and I’ll make a decision on Mr. Lofty and the mare Quintanella after they run on Saturday,” he said.
Go Riding, a four-year-old regarded by Moody as being similar to Zacielo, who won the AAMI Hobart-Launceston cups double last year, will be given another chance to earn a trip to Tasmania when he lines up in a 2000m race at Moonee Valley on February 3.
Go Riding failed in a race at Kyneton last week but Moody said the wet track brought about the gelding’s downfall.
“Go Riding needed a firmer track and there’s no doubt the wet track affected his performance but, hopefully, he’ll strike a good surface at Moonee Valley and if he runs well he’s chance to head to the Hobart Cup,” Moody said.
The AAMI Tasmanian Summer Racing Carnival officially kicks off in Hobart on Sunday with the Thousand Guineas, Hobart Guineas and weight-for-age Tattersall’s Stakes as the feature races on the card.
Moody confirmed Shining Storm as a certain starter in the Hobart Guineas (1600m) and his handy mare La Bella Zoccola would contest the weight-for-age sprint over 1200m.
Media Release - AAMI Hobart Cup
