Racing
Tassie’s best ready for their acid test
Thomas Lyons one of the best assembled in years.
Trainer Barry Campbell will be hoping his two remaining stable stars can find the winners' circle on day two of the Hobart Cup carnival after Mazzini misfired in the Magic Millions 3yo/4yo Classic on Friday.
Sent out the heavily backed $1.15 favourite, Mazzini, going for five wins in a row, never travelled like a winner and only battled to finish fourth.
On Sunday, Campbell will saddle up star 3yo Sanniya in the $150,000 WFA Kevin Sharkie Mystic Journey Stakes (1200m) and Durazzo will tackle the WFA Wrest Point Thomas Lyons Stakes (1400m), which also carries $150,000 in prize money.
Sanniya has won five of her six starts and is aiming for four in a row, while Durazzo, rated the best galloper in the state, has won 11 of his 15 race starts, including his past three, the Newmarket, Conquering and The Inevitable Stakes.
On Sunday, he will face his toughest test against some proven performers from Victoria, but he has been installed as the $2.70 favourite for the race.
"Looking at it on paper, it looks like a Saturday class field in Melbourne. We will know where we are. He's fit and well. He had a week off after his last run, and he hasn't missed a beat since," Campbell said.
Durazzo has drawn barrier nine in a field of 13; he is the third-highest rated horse in the field at 104. Jimmy The Bear from the Patrick and Michelle Payne stable is 107, while Welwal, trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent, is a 105 rater.
Jimmy The Bear is $11 while Wewal has been backed from $17 into $8. Steparty, the third of the Victorian invaders, is a solid $3.20 second favourite while another of the local hopes, Just Cruisin', is at $5.
Just Cruisin' has been runner-up to Durazzo at his past three runs and certainly deserves a big race win.
Sanniya is taking on older, more seasoned mares in the Mystic Journey, but bookmakers are taking no risks with her, the $1.70 favourite despite her drawing barrier 10 of 10.
"I think she is about to really peak, and you will see the best of her on Sunday. I'm really pleased with her," Campbell said.
Sanniya will be hoping to repeat the effort of Geegees Mistruth, who won both the Mystic Journey and Vamos stakes as a 3-year-old last season.
The two WFA support races sit well alongside the $250,000 Group 3 Ladbrokes Hobart Cup on a huge 10-race card that gets underway at 11:50.
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