Former trainer Keith Richards, now stable foreman for his wife Julie at Roches Beach, believes 'Popeye' is a potential cups horse.

And, he is well qualified to know. Richards himself trained 1978 Hobart Cup winner Clean Heels and Julie Richards prepared 1999 winner Future Shock.

But, it was a horse that didn't quite win the Hobart Cup that prompted the Richards family to buy Popeye The Sailor as a weanling from New South Wales breeder Kathy Easteal.

The gelding is a half brother to their former handy stayer Milson who won five races in NSW and Tasmania and had no luck when midfield in the 2017 Hobart Cup won by Count Da Vinci.

He is also a half brother to Monmouth who has won six races including one at Moonee Valley.

"We bought him because he was Milson's half brother and the mother throws good horses," Richards said.

"This bloke is going to need time to fill out but I think he'll be a really top little horse.

"He has no faults - he's not nervous and he's not cranky.

"He's winning over distances that are not far enough for him.

"He already needs 2000m and he'll get further."

Popeye The Sailor is by Nom du Jeu whose wins included the 2400m AJC Derby and who ran second in the 2400m Caulfield Cup.

Now in the spelling paddock, Popeye The Sailor gave his breeder a double at Sunday's meeting as his half sister Zade's Stories won the Maiden Plate.

Tasmanian-bred stayer The Nephew has drawn barrier 4 in a capacity field for Saturday's $500,000 South Australian Derby at Morphettville.

He has eased to $23 with tab.com.au as VRC St Leger winner Alegron ($2.80) continues to dominate the market.

The 2500m group 1 race attracted 16 final acceptors plus four emergencies.

The Nephew, trained by Patrick Payne and to be ridden by Billy Egan, won the Tasmanian Derby in February when a heavily-backed $2.50 favourite.

The son of Wordsmith was a $40,000 buy at the Tasmanian Magic Millions Yearling Sale.

Former jockey Rodney Griffiths, who enjoyed a successful association with Tasmanian star Alfa, has died in Victoria after a long battle with cancer. He was 54.

Griffiths was a star apprentice in the mid-1980s who went on to ride more than 1500 winners in Australia and Europe.

He had four rides on Alfa in the spring of 1996 and won three successive races - the listed Concept Sports Stakes, group 1 Caulfield Guineas and group 3 AAMI Vase.

He was then narrowly beaten on the Bart Cummings-trained gelding in the group 1 Victoria Derby.

Griffiths' other group 1 wins included the Blue Diamond on Principality and Futurity Stakes on Schillaci, both on the same day.

His career ended prematurely when he was badly injured in a fall at Caulfield in 2000.

Similan Beach will attempt to continue a fairytale comeback story in the $12,000 Launceston Mile at Mowbray on Sunday night.

The now seven-year-old broke a pedal bone in 2020 and a couple of months later his hoof detached from trauma.

Pipers River trainer Kristy Butler was told it would probably be best to have the gelding put down but she was having none of that.

Butler was determined to rehabilitate the horse so he could at least see out his days in a paddock.

She did such a good job that Similan Beach eventually made it the country show circuit and, ultimately, back to the racetrack.

He had his first start for 19 months when unplaced at Mowbray in mid-April then on Anzac Day delivered on the promise he'd always shown by upsetting the great Ryley Major in the Brighton Cup at Elwick.

His rivals on Sunday night will include another of the state's best-performed horses, Sunny Sanz.

A capacity field of 14 will contest Sunday night's North Eastern Pacing Cup over the staying trip of 2698m.

The race was to have been run in January but the annual Scottsdale meeting was called off due to predicted thunderstorms and COVID-related staffing issues.

There are six co-backmakers on 10m including the in-form Young Rooster, who is chasing a hat-trick, and dual Burnie Cup winner Mister Gently.

Hayden Bromac has won four his past eight starts and locked wheels in the home straight when unplaced last Sunday night.

Fields -

MILE: 1 Joe Nien, 2 Lockaway Kacie, 3 Racketeers Boy, Similan Beach, Sea Double Ugrant, Vinny Chase, Sunny Sanz, Aqua Sancta, Izaha.

CUP: 1 Earl Jujon, 2 Major Assassin (em), 3 Deadly Assassin, 4 Rockandahardplace, 5 Colby Sanz, 6 Kuyomi, 7 Rocks Roy, 8 James Dean, 9 Puntarno Stride fr; 10 Taroona Bromac, 11 Mister Gently, 12 Rock On Playboy, 13 Kadar, 14 Young Rooster, 15 Hayden Bromac 10m.

This week's meeting also features four heats of the Cavalor Equicare Novice Drivers Series.

Winners of the races are exempt from any handicapping penalty.

The series was previously sponsored by BOTRA which is understood to have withdrawn its support this year when Tasracing would not agree to it having a say in the conditions.

The drivers taking part are Jacob Duggan, Mitch Ford, Liam Older, Charlie Castles, Malcom Jones, Bronte Miller, Ryan Backhouse, Kayleb Williams, Hannah Van dongen and Jordan Chibnall.