News

PUNTERS across Australia have rallied over the weekend for the Robert Smerdon-trained mare Rathsallagh to win today's $400,000 Group 3 AAMI Hobart Cup to be run at 4.30pm at Tattersall's Park Elwick.

Rathsallagh opened at $6.00 with fixed odds wagering organisation BetaSport but strong support has seen her price tumble into $4 and a clear favourite ahead of De Fine Lago ($8 into $5) with Bangerang Quickpic next best at $6.50.

The depth and strength of this year's Cup would suggest the event will attract record turnover locally and nationally.

This is clearly the best Hobart Cup field assembled at Elwick for decades with the quality of jockeys to ride in the race equally impressive.

Multiple Melbourne Cup-winning hoop Glen Boss will partner Rathsallagh but most of the other riders have ridden Group 1 winners with the list reading like a who's who of Australian jockeys.

Bangerang Quickpic is trained by Darren Weir who has prepared three of the past four Hobart Cups and this year's hope will be ridden by Craig Williams who partnered Weir's Gotta Keep Cool to victory over Zavite last year.

Zavite is back for another crack at the race and while he has his share of weight with 59.5kg, his trainer Anthony Cummings says the gelding is no stranger to carrying big weights and he in better shape than he was for last year's assignment.

Ista Kareem from the Colin Little stable at Caulfield is back for his third Hobart Cup so the nine-year-old knows the territory but would have appreciated a bit more sting out of the ground.

He track is rated a dead 5 with a penetrometer reading of 4.81 but there has been no water applied to the track for two days, instead racetrack manager Neil Gardner is relying on the new track conditioner to ensure the dead 5 rating.

The conditioner was applied to the inside grass track last Sunday week and worked a treat with all jockeys and trainers pleased with how the track raced throughout the meeting at a dead 5 rating.

Another runner looking for the sting out of the ground is Larry's Never Late that has good form over the distance but races best on dead to slow going.

However his trainer Rod "Rocket" Douglas said the gelding's track gallop at Tattersall's Park last Friday was very encouraging, although it was on a heavy 8-rated surface on the inside grass due to heavy overnight rain on Thursday.

Some large bets have been placed on the Steve Richards-trained Playwright despite the horse having won only one race in almost two years.

However, that win was two starts back in a strong race over 2000m at Flemington on New Year Day.

Ballack is an interesting entry. While his recent form looks ordinary on paper, he has a proven record over the ground with a win from only two attempts and his trainer Danny O'Brien is an astute judge and would only send him if he believed he was a genuine winning chance.

Growl is from the David Hayes stable and while his recent form would suggest he might struggle, he has won fro 1200m to 2400m and is a tough, on-pace runner that could surprise at odds.

De Fine Lago is prepared by Tony Vasil who is yet to win a Hobart Cup but has won two Launceston Cups.

De Fine Lago won three in succession before a short spell and his latest effort when third behind Anavalanche and Bangerang Quickpic at Caulfield on Australia Day was convincing enough to suggest he will be very hard to beat in this race.

Syndrome, prepared by Michael Moroney, has good form over 2000 metres winning over the trip two starts back, albeit in a 0-89 handicap but at his most recent outing he was an eye-catching sixth to Anavalanche beaten 1.6 lengths.

The Australia Day race at Caulfield won by Anavalanche gives the best guide to the Hobart Cup with five of the entries having contested the race.

The Tiger appears to be outclassed compared to many of his fellow interstate rivals but the Colin and Cindy Alderson-trained four-year-old won at Moonee Valley two starts back over 2040m and followed up with a luckless fourth at the same track and distance to go into this race at his peak.

Of the locals Dream Pedlar and Assent appear the best wining chances.

Assent won the Summer Cup and Ingham Cup going into the race and while drawn wide (barrier 15) he is in career best form and his trainers David and Scott Brunton are very upbeat about his winning chances.

Dream Pedlar ran third in this race last year carrying 53kg and goes up only a half-kilogram but is a much better and stringer horse this time in so he rates highly of the five Tasmanian-trained entries.

Brighton trainer Gary White is no stranger to preparing Hobart Cup, winner having been successful twice before with L'Espion and Lord Baracus but this year he will saddle up 100/1 outsider Mr Isaac that goes into this race with a last-start second to Assent in the Ingham Jockey Club Cup.

Mr Isaac was game in defeat last start so if Assent is regarded a winning chance then Mr Isaac must loom a place hope and at $26 for the place with BetaSport he might be the value runner of the outsiders.

Maybe French ($101) and BevenHeights ($126) would appear to be outclassed but both are very capable gallopers.