Devonport-based jockey Tommy Doyle will be hoping a return to his home track on Sunday brings him an overdue change of luck.
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Doyle, 23, has five rides at the meeting which will be only his second since returning from serious injury.
He was sidelined for four months after fracturing his pelvis in three places in a pre-race fall at Mowbray on Launceston Cup day.
He was to have ridden unraced filly Gobble'emup but she reared and fell behind the barriers, landing on top of him then rolling on him.
It was to have been his first meeting as a senior jockey.
Doyle had two rides at his comeback meeting at Mowbray last Sunday but both were 100-1 chances and ran last.
He looks to have brighter prospects this week where his rides will include consistent sprinter Artuso in the Benchmark 76 Handicap and first-starter Gallant Warriors in the 2YO Maiden.
Doyle came to Tasmania 2-1/2 years ago to finish his apprenticeship with Adam Trinder.
However the fact that he'd ridden 83 winners in country Queensland meant he had no claim and opportunities were hard to come by.
Although he's added only eight wins to that total in Tasmania, he still has a career strike-rate of 10 per cent.
TOUGH FIRST-UP ASSIGNMENTS
The main race at Spreyton on Sunday has attracted one of the best benchmark 76 fields of the season, including three smart horses returning from spells.
Topweight Dark Wanderer hasn't raced since finishing eighth, beaten only 2-1/4 lengths, in the weight-for-age Mowbray Stakes on Launceston Cup day.
His four starts over summer were all in top-class races and included a third to The Inevitable and And Beyond in the listed Conquering Stakes.
Jaja Chaboogie hasn't raced since a second to Galenus (with Take The Sit third) in an open handicap at Mowbray in March.
She had previously finished second to Miss Tuppence in the Lady Lynette, seventh to Zoushine in the Bow Mistress and fourth to Take the Sit in the Vamos.
Miss Charlie Brown hasn't raced since a second to Bundle Of Fun in the Tasmanian Oaks when she finished in front of odds-on favourite Honeycreeper.
The filly won the listed Strutt Stakes at her previous start and, although she may now be viewed as a stayer, she won her first two starts over 1100m and ran second to Turk Warrior in the listed Elwick Stakes.
FIRST TASSIE RIDES FOR SA APPRENTICE
South Australian apprentice Felicity Atkinson will have her first rides in Tasmania at Spreyton on Sunday.
Atkinson, 25, is apprenticed to Leon Macdonald and Andrew Gluyas and has ridden 30 winners since making her debut in January last year.
She has been booked for Gee Gee Speedy Sky, Baheera, Gee Gees Teardrop and Needarein and had to give up two other rides because of her flight times
The first of 10 races is at 10.20 am.
Codi Jordan, Siggy Carr and Erica Byrne Burke all have busy days as they continue an interesting tussle for the jockeys' premiership.
Jordan has nine rides while Carr and Byrne Burke have eight each.
With five meetings to go, Jordan heads the table on 53 wins ahead of Carr on 48 and Byrne Burke on 46.
VET EXAMS REVEAL 'SLOW RECOVERY'
Horse of the year Newhart was found to be dehydrated after finishing last in the Deloraine Cup at his first run for nine months at Mowbray on Sunday.
A post-race veterinary examination also revealed that the six-year-old had a slow recovery rate.
Stablemate Vetlanda also had a slow recovery rate after finishing fourth in the Malua 3YO.
The vet reported to stewards that the filly also had an infection on her head where she had previously had surgery.
Apprentice Codi Jordan said Vetlanda failed to respond to her riding and may not have handled the soft 7 track.
WHIP BAN FOR PROMISING RIDER
At an inquiry adjourned from Elwick on June 19, promising apprentice Taylor Johnstone was suspended twice for breaching the whip rules.
The horses involved were Miss Enthusiasm (nine times before the 100m) and Dargo (10 times before the 100m).
She was suspended for one meeting on each charge but can serve the penalties concurrently, starting after this week's meeting.
Still in her debut season, Johnstone has ridden 31 winners to be sixth on the overall jockeys' premiership and the third leading apprentice.
The four leading apprentices in Tasmania this season have ridden 153 winners between them - only one less than the four leading senior jockeys.
FENCER NAILS 'EM BUT ONLY JUST
Favourite Nail 'Em Fencer gave Dilston greyhound trainer Neville Allison his second Tasmanian Derby at Mowbray on Monday night.
Nail 'Em Fencer began well from box seven and cleared the field to lead on the first turn before establishing a three-length break down the back.
However the opposition closed strongly and he had only a head to spare on the line over the fast-finishing Dewana Milo with Clairvoyant a length away third.
Allison also won the classic with Dilston Knight in 2005, the first year it was run on the Mowbray track.
Wynyard trainer Ben Englund picked up his second Tasmanian Oaks when Wynburn Ruby streeted her rivals by 10 lengths.
The $1.45 favourite jumped on terms and had reached the lead by the first turn before quickly putting the result beyond doubt.
Buckle Up Aria and Dashing Pippa filled the placings as the winner scooted over the 515m in 29.49.
Wynburn Ruby has now won four races at the track and distance all in good times. Her previous wins were in 29.30, 29.44 and 29.43.