Racing
Mare goes boom in the Winzenberg
Exciting mare, Press For Boom ($2.90 fav), went one better than her second placing in 2024 with victory in the $50,000 Winzenberg Handicap (1100m) in Hobart on Sunday afternoon.
The win marked the five-year-old's sixth from just eight career starts, and trainer John Blacker is now targeting feature fillies and mares' races in January and February.
"She's probably one of the best sprinting mares in the state, I'd say," John Blacker boldly declared after the race.
"We tipped her out after one run last campaign to concentrate on this race, and then the Lady Lynette and the two Group 3s down the track."
Press For Boom was expertly ridden by premiership leading jockey Erica Byrne Burke, landing in the position behind the leader Tsunami Sam ($4.40).
In the home straight, Byrne Burke went to the inside to secure a passage past the tiring leaders, with the most significant challenger being 2024 Newmarket winner Geegees Gemstone ($10), who charged home from well back in the field to secure second placing, just over a length off the winner on the line.
The $50,000 Lady Lynette (1100m) will be run on 18 January in Hobart.
"We'll just stick to the fillies & mares races now, and all the credit goes to the team at Longford."
Blacker had a winning double as Georgaroni ($2.50) built on the impressive start to his career with victory in a class 4 (1600m).
It was the closest finish of the day, with the judge needing to separate Georgaroni and Fiorente De Legend ($2.60) in a result that had both the trainer and jockey (David Pires) thinking they'd have to settle for second place.
Georgaroni has now won three of his five career starts.
Three out of three
The early part of Sunday's eight-race card was dominated by trainer Stuart Gandy, who won the first three races.
Punters were on the money in the opening event with Southern Auroras backed from $4.80 into $2.80 on race morning, for a dominant 3.8-length victory in a 1200m maiden.
After four winners in Launceston on Wednesday night, Codi Jordan picked up where she left off, spearing across from barrier 15/15 to sit outside the leader, and the race was over a long way from home.
Anthony Darmanin then teamed up with Gandy for winners aboard Fierce 'N' Fabulous ($3.10) in a 1400m maiden and The Trine ($3) in a class 1 (1400m).
Frequent showers and strong winds made conditions tough all day, though the track remained a soft 5 throughout the program.
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