Two Tasmanian trainers are confident that their horses will run well at Caulfield on Saturday despite their long odds.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Dual horse of the year Hellova Street faces the toughest task of his career in the group 1 $500,000 Rupert Clarke Stakes.
And, last season’s two-year-old of the year Mystic Journey also comes up against a strong field in a $120,000 fillies’ race.
In their favour, is that both horses have drawn well in capacity fields.
Online bookmaker tab.com.au opened Hellova Street at $23 and Mystic Journey at $17.
Trainer Scott Brunton believes Hellova Street is “the best chance I’ve ever had in a group I.”
“He’s never carried such a light weight (54kg) in his life and he’s first-up over 1400m which is perfect for him,” Brunton said.
Hellova Street has won four his eight first-up runs and missed a place only once.
He is coming off a 1000m trial win at Elwick nine days ago when Brunton said the eight-year-old went “super”.
“He’s come back better than ever – he’s a freak,” the trainer said.
Hellova Street has never raced at group 1 level.
However he was placed behind three-time group 1 winner Humidor in the group 2 Blamey Stakes at Flemington in March.
Victorian jockey Dean Holland, who has ridden Hellova Street four times for three wins, will be back in the saddle on Saturday.
Holland made a hit-and-run visit to Tasmania last week to ride the gelding in his barrier trial.
THIRD TIME LUCKY
Mystic Journey will be having her third start in Victoria and trainer Adam Trinder says she is facing her toughest test in the listed Jim Moloney Stakes.
“But she has the form on the board to warrant being in the race,” Trinder said.
“Going on her trackwork this week, I think she’ll be very competitive.”
Mystic Journey ran fourth to boom colt Brutal at Caulfield in mid-July before returning home to win at Spreyton.
She dropped back to fillies’ grade when she returned to Moonee Valley last month and finished an unlucky fifth to Sweet Rockette.
Jockey Anthony Darmanin, who retains the ride, said he believed the filly would have have won her last start with a clear run.
Trinder believes Mystic Journey is now looking for the 1400m of this week’s race.
“Originally, everything she did at home told us that she was a speed horse and didn’t want any further than 1200m,” the trainer said.
“But her recent runs have suggested otherwise.”
Tasmanian horses have been racing well in Melbourne this spring, with Hellova Street’s stablemate Lady Pluck finishing third at Flemington last week and I’m Wesley a close fourth.