Scott Bryan On The Bunny In Derby Heats
Wynyard trainer Scott Bryan won both heats of the Rapidvite Industries Country Derby (452 metres) conducted at the Devonport Raceway on Tuesday afternoon and has a great chance of taking out Tuesday's $4,790 metre Final.
A virtual hobby trainer, Bryan has enjoyed great success in recent months and this continued at the NWGRC meeting when his chasers Sir Sonic (Bond – Lusty Star) and Just Casual (Bombastic Shiraz – Shazlyn) prevailed in brilliant fashion.
Sir Sonic accounted for the very smart Zavance Man ( Head Bound – It's A She) in winning his heat in the time of 25.86 and has drawn the coveted red box in the Final.
Just Casual recorded a slightly faster 25.71 in defeating the Maurie Strickland prepared Simply Wunder (Where's Pedro – Simply Pettigo) and has drawn the yellow box.
Sir Sonic is raced by Bryan in partnership with Tom and Ben Englund and is the winner of four of 15 lifetime outings, whereas the Craig French owned Just Casual is the winner of nine of his 23 starts.
Bryan cannot separate the pair ability wise, but says that the box draw may have tipped the scales slightly in Sir Sonic's favour.
“I was a bit disappointed that Sir Sonic didn't run quicker on Tuesday afternoon considering that his personal best time at the venue is 25.59, but in saying that all you can do is win,” he said on Thursday.
“They are both pretty smart chasers and it doesn't concern me which one of them wins – it would just be great if one of them did.”
Meanwhile outstanding bitch Emerald Lee (Paddy's Flame – Inbetween Days) looks to be the testing material in the $4,790 Betfair Country Oaks (452 metres) to be conducted on the same programme.
Insufficient nominations meant that heats of the rich event were not conducted, the race to be run simply as a Final.
The Debbie Cannan prepared Emerald Lee continued on her winning way on Tuesday afternoon when she defeated the classy Tadmore Dunoon (Collision – Baretta Betty) in the time of 25.79, as a raging $1.30 favourite.
The bitch has now won 10 of her 14 outings while taking stakes of in excess of $32,000 and is shaping up as one of the best of her sex to have raced in Tasmania in recent years.
The only time that Emerald Lee has been defeated in her last nine starts was at the expense of the Paul Hili prepared Black Nitro (Bombastic Shiraz – Leetyla), which has taken all before him since being transferred from Victoria.
She has drawn the pink box on Tuesday afternoon and will once again stifle betting on the event, which is sure to attract considerable interest in the area.
The classy Rewind ( Collide – Ricky's Angel) also returned to his best at the Devonport Raceway on Tuesday afternoon, by winning the Invitation (452 metres) by seven lengths in the time of 25.47.
Left in his wake was the Brian Shipp prepared Brumby Bomber (Brumby Lad – Kanowna Belle) which had caused an upset the previous week by defeating the champ at odds of $46.