After being placed in the $100,000 Group 1 Ladbrokes Easter Cup last start, Sportswriter gelding Sunny Sanz returned to the winners list in a Discretionary Handicap over 2200m in Launceston on Sunday night.
Stepping cleanly from the tapes, reinsman Gareth Rattray positioned the $1.90 favourite outside the leader for the final mile before sweeping to the lead around the final bend to race away and score by 3.6m over Izaha with Earl Jujon in third spot.
“It was a win of authority but he can do that sort of work, however he can’t do that against the really good horses,” said trainer Kent Rattray after the race.
Sunny Sanz contested the Tasmania and Easter Cups during the Autumn Carnival, with the pacer not being too far away in both races.
“Tassie Cup was the question of should we be there, and the Easter Cup we thought we should be there, but I think next year we will see the best of him. I know he is six years old now, but he has had two full one year breaks out with injury, so he is a four-year-old in my eyes,” explained the trainer.
Sunny Sanz has now won 12 of his 24 starts and will be aimed at the Launceston Mile on Sunday.
Bridwood Bella breaks through again
Lightly raced mare Bridwood Bella returned to the winner’s list in the McGrath Foundation Stakes.
From the pole draw, the four-year-old daughter of Auckland Reactor, who was racing in advance of her national rating, was able to settle behind the leader before working to the lead near the 1400m point.
Despite the early work and being first-up, she was able to prove too strong late by 6.2m over the race favourite Machs Mareta.
“I have been pretty happy with her of late. I think we have got her back now and finally worked out a bit more about her too, as she is a tricky animal,” said winning trainer-driver Rohan Hadley post-race.
The mare started her career winning all three of her two-year-old starts, including a slick mile rate of 1m 57.4s on debut, but Hadley has spaced the pacers runs during her three and four-year-old season while he worked on getting the pacer to settle in her races.
“Some time ago I sent her to Todd and Barrie Rattray’s to try and educate her amongst a large team of horses, and I think it has done her a world of good.
“She has been in and out of work a bit,” explained Hadley.
“I will space her runs and keep her quiet for as long as I can now,” added the trainer-driver.
Due to a malfunction with the electronic timing system, all races were hand-timed for the nine-race card.
