Devonport Cup Attracts A Super Field
A star-studded field of chasers will contest next Tuesday's rich Devonport Cup ( 452 metres) to be conducted at the Devonport Raceway, the race to once again be sponsored by local tyre retailers Dowling and McCarthy.
Eight heats of the $25,000 to the winner affair were conducted this week, with fastest time honours going to the outstanding Rewind, which sizzled to an all the way 25.54 seven length score.
Prepared at Bracknell by veteran mentor Maurie Strickland, the son of Collide has drawn nicely in the pink box for next weeks finale and will most likely be sent out a hot favourite for the rich event.
At his most recent run Rewind was run down by the champion Dyna Tron in the Hobart Thousand, and it would be a fitting result if he could provide his trainer with one of the best wins of his long career.
“I've never won a Devonport Cup but I reckon I've got a real chance this time,” Strickland explained after Rewind's heat win.
“Some people say that I'm due for a cup win – I say I'm overdue because I have never won the race,” he joked.
Strickland went close to winning the prestigious event back in 2003 when Jeds Osti was beaten a head by the Tony Dawson prepared speedster Stylish Doctor.
Victorian trainer Graeme Bate, who won the 2009 Devonport Cup with Taipan Blue, will be represented by Classy Maldini in this years event after that chaser was successful in his particular heat in the time of 25.77.
The lightly raced son of Droopys Maldini has drawn the coveted red box in the final and will no doubt be improved by the run.
The flying Damek also won his way into Tuesday's rich event after overcoming difficulties to win his heat in the time of 25.83.
The son of Big Daddy Cool has only been beaten once at the venue and in winning his heat enhanced his lifetime earnings to in excess of the magical $100,000.
Veteran Broadmarsh trainer Keith Nicholls fared best of the local kennels by qualifying two runners , giving him his best result in years.
Keith will box the handy bitches Portrait Ignites, which denied the Graeme Bate prepared Up And Away a start by winning the first of the heats and the speedy Pretty In Blue, which have both been racing consistently in recent months.
Rowella mentor Terry Penny has qualified Rewind's litter sister Miss Roman Nose for the Cup and she will jump from the blue box.
The bitch recorded 25.87 in winning her heat and has now been successful at 17 of her 36 lifetime outings while accumulating a purse of in excess of $47,000.
Penny's mate Mick Louth provided the sensation of the heats when his chaser Decibel recorded the fifth win of his career in scoring in the time of 25.91.
The son of Mandagery Man returned the lucrative dividend of $22 and has drawn the yellow box on Tuesday afternoon.
DOWLING AND MCCARTHY DEVONPORT CUP (452 metres)
- 1. Classy Maldini
- 2. Portrait Ignites
- 3. Decibel
- 4. Miss Roman Nose
- 5. Katsidis
- 6. Damek
- 7. Pretty In Blue
- 8. Rewind
- 9. Clyde's Angel
- 10. Miki Moto Mike