Weir looks to have a second-to-none chance of winning the $200,000 race with favourite Big Duke but, just in case the Hobart Cup runner-up performs below expectations, he has a handy back-up.

Big Duke’s lower profile stablemate Unfurl has shortened from $12 to $8 in early betting.

Unfurl has made a meteoric rise. Less than eight weeks ago she was contesting, and winning, the little-known Burrumbeet Cup.

Since then, she’s finished second at Sandown and won at Caulfield, prompting Weir and her owners to raise the bar.

The trainer won’t be surprised if she measures up.

“She’s always shown staying potential,” he said.

“She was actually going to be a pretty smart horse until she had to have knee surgery which has held her back a bit.”

Despite an imposing record in the Hobart Cup – four wins in the past 11 years – Weir has had no joy in the Launceston Cup. In fact, it’s been a mini-disaster.

The last of his Hobart Cup winners that he brought to Mowbray, Hurdy Gurdy Man in 2013, bled during the race and had to be pulled up.

His 2009 Hobart Cup winner Gotta Keep Cool could finish only seventh in the Launceston Cup and his 2006 winner True Courser was a disappointing eighth at Mowbray and never won another race.

Big Duke remains a solid $2.50 favourite to finally break Weir’s drought.