Hobart Thousand Next For Damek
Damek made it eleven wins from eleven starts at Tattersalls Park on Thursday night when he sped to an all the way score in the rich Betfair Tasmanian Gold Cup.
The son of Big Daddy Cool flew the lids to occupy his customary role and recorded 25.97 in defeating Regal Love and Girrawarra Ali by almost six lengths at the luxury odds of $1.50.
The champ is now primed to take on the best in the land in the heats of the $75,000 Wrest Point Casino Hobart Thousand on December 9.
“It was another very good performance and I am very happy with Damek at the moment,” Invermay trainer Eileen Thomas explained on Friday morning.
“He will not have another run before the Hobart Thousand heats and I believe that he will acquit himself well against the better company.”
Meanwhile Whitemore trainer Leigh Woods has qualified litter-sisters Ren Shen and Dang Shen for the $5,000 Launceston Saloon Bar Gold Collar Final to be conducted at the Tote Racing Centre on Monday night.
By Slater from the Brett Lee bitch Oxley Apache, the unusually named bitches won their respective heats of the event at the Tote Racing Centre on Monday night and are sharing favouritism in early markets.
Woods prepares Ren Shen and Dang Shen for Hobart owner Robert English and they have proven to be a model of consistency in recent months.
Ren Shen has won five of 19 starts while accumulating stakes of $10,400, whilst Dang Shen has won seven of 19 starts and stakes of $14,010.
The pair have drawn together in the black and pink boxes and if their trainer was forced to make a selection he would opt for the slightly better performed Dang Shen.
“They are both railers and if Dang Shen can begin as well as I know she can she will give a great sight,” he explained.
“Unfortunately she fell at Devonport recently and was a bit tardy out of the boxes at her next run, but I am hoping she has forgotten about that and can show her usual dash.”
Woods rates the Gary Johnson prepared Mr. Issues, also a son of Big Daddy Cool, as the hardest for his chasers to hold out.
The winner of nine of 22 lifetime and stakes of $14,800, Mr. Issues was a fast finishing second to Dang Shen in their heat and has drawn the blue box on Monday night.
“Johnno's dog is very smart and I have a lot of respect for him. If I don't win the race then I reckon he is the one,” he explained.