The Cavalor Equicare Tasmanian Derby and Cavalor Equicare Tasmanian Oaks, both $40,000 Listed events, headline Sunday night’s nine-race card in Hobart, and two of the state’s junior drivers, who sit in the top 10 on the overall driving premiership this season, will be out to upset their more fancied Victorian rivals.
The two features are a part of a nine-race card that commences at 17:00.
Tasmanian Derby
Jacob Duggan, the state’s leading junior driver in 2023, partners with Zeus Immortal for his father, Adrian, as they look to become the first locally-trained pacer to win the Derby since Scooterwillrev in 2017.
Zeus Immortal has won four of his 14 starts, and goes into the Derby fourth-up from a spell, and will start from the pole draw.
“His three runs back this prep have been really good, and we can’t fault him,” said Jacob.
“He is versatile, but we will weigh it up (from barrier one), it’s a small field and I’ll just wait and see what happens early.
“I think it’s an open race, as long as the speed’s genuine, I think any one of them can win it.
Captain Perfect will be looking to give Victorian trainer Emma Stewart her fourth Derby win, and her third in a row, with Allan McDonough, who has driven her last two Derby winners booked for the drive on the Captraintreacherous colt who has won five of his 11 starts.
Tasmanian Derby betting: $1.18 Captain Perfect, $6 Coniston, $9.50 Jilliby Randal, $11 Zeus Immortal and $13 Horatius Speculo.
Tasmanian Oaks
Last season’s leading junior driver in the state, Brodie Davis, will take the reins on Barbary Tales, who has drawn outside of the front row in the 2090m event.
The daughter of For A Reason, who is trained by Brodie’s father Steven, was third to Fighter Command in the Beautide in track record time two runs ago. She has won five of her 10 starts, including at her most recent effort in Hobart when running a mile rate of 1:56.9s for 2090m, the win being the second time she has won under 1:57.0s.
“I was very happy, it was probably her best run this time in, having to sit back and do a bit of work,” said Brodie.
“She probably needed the hard run (in the Beautide) to teach her how to run properly, as she had been doing it easily before.
“It’s a horrible draw, we will just see what happens. It is a good field, Emma Stewart has two (Beach Diamond and Let Her Roll) coming over, and they are proven and have been to Sydney and Adelaide. Hopefully, there is some mid-race pace. We will wait and decide whether we go forward or back,” said Brodie.
Tasmanian Oaks betting: $1.65 Let Her Roll, $1.95 Beach Diamond, $19 Samkerr, $21 Barbary Tales, $31+ others.
*Markets correct as at 13:00 Friday.
