He has raced at the top level for most of his career on both sides of the Tasman, and the Jess Tubbs-trained Triple Eight stamped himself as a main player in Saturday night’s Group 2 Tasmania Cup after an impressive heat win last Sunday in Hobart.
Off his 30m handicap, the $1.28 favourite stepped away brilliantly in the 2579m event and was able to work around the field to find the lead with 1800m to travel.
From there, the gelded son of American Ideal was always going to be hard to catch.
Driver Greg Sugars never had to pull the earplugs over the concluding stages when defeating Bullys Delight and Cool Water Paddy.
“He stepped away good, which was his go in New Zealand, so that was no worries for us. And once he circled the field and found the top, he was always going to be hard to beat,” Sugars said.
“He has raced at the top level for most of his career in New Zealand and you would have to say it is one of the easier assignments he has had for some time. But having said that, having to come off 30 metres and having to circle the field does level the playing field a lot and they were pretty solid quarters we carved out all the way."
The lead time was run in 77.5sec before quarters of 31.1sec, 29.6sec, 29.2sec and 28.9sec for a time of 3:16.3min (MR 2:1.1min), which was faster than that of last week's heat winner Willie Go West - for Lara trainer Dean Braun - who ran 3:16.9min. Willie Go West is favourite to win the final with the TAB at $1.85, just ahead of Triple Eight ($2.30).
Sugars is looking forward to Saturday’s final, where a capacity field of 14 runners will do battle once again over the 2579m trip.
“He still has to go pretty good to get the job done on Saturday, that’s for sure,” Sugars said.
“Willie Go West was pretty impressive in his heat last week, and you would think he would be improved on that run too, with an extra week under his belt going into it. It won’t be easy to catch him, but we will give it a crack."
The Sugars and Tubbs combination will also look to take home Saturday’s Group 3 Tasmanian Oaks after Momentslikethese made light work of her rivals in Sunday’s Three Year Old Fillies Championship.
“She was first-up (Sunday) and probably needed that hit out, so to do a bit of work early and still finish off, I was pretty pleased with the run,” Sugars said.
Fellow Victorian trainer John Nicholson is no stranger to winning feature races in Tasmania and he will be hoping to add another this weekend.
On Saturday night, he will have a two-pronged attack as he chases his third win in the Group 3 Tasmanian Derby.
Nicholson prepared Gingerbliss to victory in 2013 and won the race last year with Micton Mouse, with both winners driven by his son Rhys.
This year he puts the polish on Alby Two Chains and Sebs Choice, who ran the quinella in Sunday’s Tasmanian Guineas.
Alby Two Chains produced good gate speed to hold the lead and dictate affairs in the 2090m event, and after recording a reasonable lead time of 34.3sec, the pacer was able to get away with quarters of 31.7sec, 31.6sec, 29.2sec and 29.0sec on his way to a four metre win.
“I really like him, he is really well bred and everything else and next year he will be a real horse,” Nicholson said about the half-brother to multiple Group 1 winner Jilliby Kung Fu.
Sunday’s victory was the first this season for the Captaintreacherous colt, who was second-up from a break after finishing down the track at Yarra Valley the start prior.
“He was a bit all over the place at Yarra Valley, he was first-up and I sort of rushed him up to come down here. He was probably a run short that day,” the trainer-driver explained.
Sebs Choice had a nice trip on the leader's back and Nicholson believes there isn’t much between the duo at present.
“There’s not much between them, but Alby Two Chains will end up a better horse,” he said.
John will retake the reins on Alby Two Chains while his son Rhys retains the drive aboard Sebs Choice.
Nicholson isn’t concerned about the 2579m distance of the Derby, which is the first time that every runner in Saturday’s field will go over the long journey.
The TAB has Alby Two Chains as a $3.50 chance, just behind another Victorian Danceforme ($3.10).
Trained by Leroy O’Brien, the gelded son of A Rocknroll Dance has won two of his six starts, including a 13m triumph at Mildura on March 5.
Bullys Delight is Nicholson's sole runner in the Group 2 Tasmania Cup and has drawn the pole in the $75,000 final, where he is a $10 chance after finishing second to Triple Eight in last week's heat.
* pictures courtesy tasracing.com.au