Tasmanian galloper Hela second favourite for $500,000 Australian Oaks in Adelaide

After opening at $6, the Scott Brunton-trained star has firmed to $4.40 with tab.com.au.

She is pressing highly-rated Victorian filly Steinem ($4.00) for favouritism.

Steinem started $1.60 favourite when fourth in the group 3 Auraria Stakes 12 days ago but was considered unlucky after drawing barrier 16.

She has drawn barrier 1 for this week's group 1 race while Hela is also perfectly placed in barrier 3.

David Pires, who has ridden Hela to all seven of her Tasmanian wins including the listed Strutt Stakes, again has the mount.

Hela has the fourth-highest handicap rating of the 19 final acceptors (which includes three emergencies).

VRC Oaks winner Personal, a $9 chance, is clearly her highest-rated rival on 106.

Dual group 3 winner Chica Fuerte, trained by Anthony Freedman, has a rating of 88, Kiwi visitor Tokorangi is rated 85 and Hela 83.

Steinem has a rating of only 69 so if it was a handicap race Hela would be giving her considerable weight.

The Oaks is a set-weight race with all runners to carry 56kg.

Hela has arrived safely in Adelaide and Brunton has also made the trip to supervise the final stages of her preparation.

The Tasmanian Turf Club is commissioning an independent review of its administration.

Chairman Brian Walker said the review would also look at the club in general, its structure and protocols.

"It will take quite a few weeks because we want to go through the whole place and come up with better structures so we are better placed to move forward and everyone knows their roles," he said.

Chief executive Natalie Waters resigned recently and has left the club.

Walker said the position would be advertised "at some stage".

In the meantime he and treasurer Ossie Camenzuli are sharing the CEO's responsibilities with the assistance of office staff.

Winter racing was not an option at Mowbray this year as the track is closed for an extensive upgrade but could return next year, at least on a limited basis.

Brian Walker said the TTC hoped to conduct a small number of meetings over the winter months in 2022.

"Weekly meetings will still finish mid-April but, once the major renovations are completed, the track should be available for a few meetings over winter to give more horses a chance," he said.

With the bulk of winter racing at Spreyton and only a small number of meetings at Elwick, opportunities for horses that can't handle the synthetic track are very limited.

Unbeaten Turk Warrior will have only six rivals when he returns to racing in the $50,000 Tasbred 2YO at Elwick on Sunday.

The race is set weights with penalties and he will carry 60kg - 3kg more than any other runner.

Trainer Glenn Stevenson said, if Turk Warrior brings up his fifth win and comes through the race well, he will probably advance to the $50,000 Sires Produce at Elwick a fortnight later.

Stevenson said the option then would be to go to Melbourne for one last run before a spell "but we'll see what happens here first."

Sunday's other feature race, the $50,000 Tasbred 3YO is also set weights plus penalties and has nine final acceptors headed by joint topweights First Accused and Algernon on 57.5kg.

Devonport will host one of its best harness meetings of the year on Sunday night with prizemoney totalling almost $100,000.

The nine-race card features five $12,000 races - the Devonport Belmont, The Leigh Plunkett, CUB Quality, Latrobe Cup and Sheffield Cup.

Easter Cup winner Scooterwillrev will make his first Devonport appearance since May 2018 in the CUB Quality, a free-for-all over 1930m.

He has drawn inside the second row, directly behind possible leader The Crimson Prince who chased him home at Mowbray 18 days ago.