Tanabi Bromac wins the 2008 Victoria Derby
A $5000 C9 or better event seems an unlikely place to launch a campaign aimed at some of Australia’s biggest races, but Keith Cotchin hopes it will prove a masterstroke with Tanabi Bromac.
The 2008 Victoria Derby champion will have his first start since beating home all bar Smoken Up in the Group 1 Len Smith Mile on April 23 when he lines up in Friday night’s PLM Global Management Pace at Melton’s Tabcorp Park.
The Elmore trainer said it was a good starting point for the gelding many think has the ability to become one of the stars of the Barastoc Grand Circuit.
“He really started to measure right up last season, take that next step, and only just got beaten in a couple of good races,” he said. “He could have had a Tasmanian Championship if things went his way.
“So he was fairly unlucky in a few races and we’re hoping he can take another step this season and be even that little bit better.”
A dominant force on last season’s Choice Hotels Country Cups Carnival with Group 2 wins in the Horsham and Shepparton Cups, regional features are again central to Cotchin’s plan with the six-year-old this campaign.
The gruelling SEW-Eurodrive Kilmore Cup – on Sunday, October 24 – has been pencilled in as his immediate main aim.
“At this stage we’re aiming at the Kilmore Cup because he’s such a good beginner from the stand,” Cotchin said. “He’ll tell us whether he’ll be ready for that, but hopefully everything will fall into place and we can get there.”
But first he’s got handy types including Hollywood Bromac, Pacific Charm and Franco Sandman to contend with in this week’s 2240-metre mobile.
HRV price assessor Bill Hutchison has marked Tanabi Bromac the $2.20 top pick from barrier five, ahead of $5.50 joint second elects Pacific Charm (barrier one) and Hollywood Bromac (six) with Franco Sandman (four) at $6.
On debut was the only time Tanabi Bromac has won from four first-up attempts, but he has placed the other three times including a third to the then-flying Notaswethort in an M2-M3 event last time he resumed.
“He’s always been thereabouts (first up) and it’s nice to have him back,” Cotchin said. “It’s been a while since he raced, but he feels good and hopefully whatever he does he’ll improve on.”
The PLM Global Management Pace is the penultimate event on tomorrow night's eight-race card, scheduled for 9.42pm.
