Leading Tasmanian trainers Scott Brunton and John Blacker will campaign several horses in Melbourne over the next few weeks and are confident they will get away to a good start at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
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Brunton has Lord Da Vinci in a $100,000 open handicap over 1200 metres while Blacker will start Erin’s Element in an $80,000 mares’ race over 1000m.
Lord Da Vinci travelled to Melbourne on Tuesday night, settled in well and has Brunton predicting he will make a winning return to his old home state.
“I’ve taken a few horses to Melbourne in recent years and I’m more confident of Lord Da Vinci winning than I have been with any other runner I’ve had at a Saturday meeting,” the trainer said.
Lord Da Vinci has had nine starts since coming from Victoria to join the Brunton stable early last year.
He has won six races and been narrowly beaten by star gallopers Admiral, Hellova Street and Tshahitsi at his other three runs.
Brunton has also earmarked Count Da Vinci, Step The Pedal and Angel Of The Abyss for possible Melbourne campaigns while he has already transferred Demons Run and Cheryl’s Horse to Victorian trainer Patrick Payne.
Erin’s Element will be the first of three Blacker-trained horses to race in Melbourne this month. Powercharged and Zatacla are likely to start at Flemington on Saturday week.
After a disappointing campaign earlier this season, Blacker is confident that Erin’s Element is back to something like the form that saw her run second in the 2015 Newmarket Handicap.
“She is a very good sprinter when right and she’s had three very good trials leading into Saturday’s race,” the trainer said.
