Richards Back In Tassie With Playwright
- Sunday, 07 February 2010 06:45
It has been 20 years since Melbourne trainer Steve Richards has taken a horse to Tasmania and he returns with the in-form Playwright in Monday's $400,000 Hobart Cup.
Richards recalled taking Drumming across Bass Strait for the 1990 Tasmanian Derby (2400m) in which the three-year-old was beaten a half-neck when runner-up to King Of Belmont.
"It has taken me 20 years to get back to Tassie," said Richards who has reason to go into the Group Three event with a fair amount of confidence due to Playwright's recent top form.
Two starts back he landed his first win in just under two years with a solid all-the-way victory over Sadalbari in the Byron Moore Hcp (2000m) on his home track on January 1.
Then he was trapped three-deep without cover and went down by a nose to 2007 English Derby placegetter Our Aqaleem over 1600m, again at Flemington, last Saturday week.
"His last run was super. They just don't win when trapped deep all the way like that and he was beaten by a very good horse," Richards said.
That effort confirmed that Playwright was spot-on for a crack at the Group Three Hobart Cup and Richards had him flown to Tasmania in the early hours of Friday morning.
Steven King will again ride Playwright who drew barrier 14 in the 16-horse field which is dominated by interstate runners including the Anthony Cummings-trained Zavite who was runner-up last year to Gotta Keep Cool before winning the Launceston Cup (2400m) and the Adelaide Cup (3200m).
While he has drawn wide and going to 2200 metres for the first time, Richards is enthusiastic about Playwright's prospects.
Now a five-year-old, Playwright showed plenty as a three-year-old winning two straight on his home track including the Group Three C S Hayes Stakes (1400m).
After a narrow defeat by Sound Jeuney in the Group Two Alister Clark Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley and a close third to Light Fantastic in the Group One Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington he was spelled but failed to come up the following spring.
Despite showing glimpses of form last autumn with a third in the Group Three T S Carlyon Cup (1400m) at Caulfield and a second to Largo Lad in the Group Two Blamey Stakes (1600m) at Flemington, Playwright wasn't able to break through for another win.
That was until his current preparation which started mid-spring and Richards has managed to keep him going right through the summer and he has had seven starts in that time.
Ballarat trainer Darren Weir is chasing a fourth Hobart Cup win in five years with Bangerang Quickpic, to be ridden by Craig Williams.
"He's the ideal sort of horse for that race," said Weir who won the race with True Courser in 2006, Offenbach in 2008 and Gotta Keep Cool in 2009, while Field Hunter was third to Bluetigeroo in 2007.
Williams is after his third win in the race having won on Offenbach and Gotta Keep Cool.
Michael Rodd takes the mount on last year's third placegetter Dream Pedlar ($26).
