Gardam Prince Lands 2010 Devonport Cup
Last Tuesday afternoon saw prolific winner Gardam Prince run away with the 2010 Dowling McCarthy Hankook Tyres Devonport Cup (Group Three). The $25,000 winners cheque will be added to his recent victory in the Shepparton Cup and takes his career tally to 30 wins from only 42 starts.
Starting from Box Two, Gardam Prince ($1.90 fav) looked to only have to find the rails in order to take the prize, but it was never going to be easy with Topline Doovee ($3.00) drawn box one.
As it turned out, the two favorites had a great battle before Darren McDonald's blue star managed to cross Topline Doovee around the top turn. From there nothing was going to catch him, although local runner Rulla Shaw ($29.30) put in the performance of its career to run second, three lengths behind the winner and half a length ahead of Topline Doovee.
Gardam Prince was unlucky not to have more success on the Apple Isle, as he copped big interference in his Hobart Thousand heat, just as he was reaching the lead. A return to the mainland saw him defeated by the talented Turanza Bale at Geelong, before returning for the heats of the Devonport Cup last week.
Both his heat and his final win re-affirmed McDonald's opinion of Gardam Prince as one of the lands best one-bend sprinters.
Stylish Monty, who ran second in the heat behind Gardam Prince, went on the win the consolation event (Angus Evans Memorial) easily over Eagle Eye and Victorian visitor Super Joe Cool. This was Monty's second attempt at the Consolation as he was scratched from the same event last year.
Group racing returns to Tasmania shortly, with heats of the Country Club Launceston Cup (Group Two) being run on February 8th with the final a week later, on the 15th.