Exciting 4YO Durazzo remains on track for a tilt at the Newmarket Hcp (1200m in Launceston, 27 Nov.) after an effortless win in a small field in Launceston on Friday night and is starting to build a picket fence alongside his name with four wins in a row.
Durazzo with will now step up to Open company in the Goodwood Hcp in Hobart over 1100m on 9 November, where a win would guarantee a start in the Newmarket.
"He was good, they went 1 min 10 secs, they won't go any quicker than that tonight. He probably looks flat but he's not, he's still learning, he's not there yet he's a long way off his top, it will be pretty exciting when he learns what it's all about," trainer Barry Campbell said.
"He will always race on the pace because he's got natural speed, but I think he's a better horse chasing. He will have to win the Goodwood to get in the Newmarket and if he gets in, he will have 54kg, he'll never get that again in his life so you'd be silly not to have a crack."
Contesting a Class 3 Hcp, Durazzo ($1.22) bowled along in front and scored by two lengths from Conumdrum ($19) who stuck on well with Island Warrior (7.50) battling on to finish third.
Durazzo was ridden by Kelvin Sanderson who made it a race-to-race double when Rich Glow broke his maiden status at start 14, scoring a runaway win over 1100m.
Rich Glow ($2.60) had always shown promise having been placed on seven occasions before winning impressively.
"It's taken a little bit but finally we've got there," trainer Max Beamish said.
"He got close a couple of times and he's finally got there. He seems like a horse that could be improving."
Rich Glow was strung up in traffic heading to the home turn but grabbed an inside run and sprinted quickly to beat Halen ($23) by 2 3/4 lengths with early leader Say It With Words ($3.30) third.
Campbell double
A full sister to the smart Alpine Wolf, Dancing Wolf ($1.90) broke through for her first win to give Campbell two winners for the night.
Ridden by apprentice Chloe Wells, Dancing Wolf, settled just behind the speed before getting an inside run to down Miss Tanzanite ($3.50) with Diesel's Sunshine ($31) battling on to finish third after going quickly in the first half of the race.
"She was that hard to get going, we sent her down to Siggy (Carr) to educate her in the barrier and then we've beaten her tonight, so its a funny world isn't it," Campbell said with a laugh.
"She was good tonight, they've gone 1 min 4 and a tick, that's pretty good for maiden class."
At the finish, Dancing Wolf had a short neck to spare from the Carr trained Miss Tanzanite who looked set for victory 100m out.
Wells continues hot formChloe Wells made it a double for the night when she steered Hot Relation ($11) to victory in the 1400m BM60 Hcp.
Wells had Hot Relation three wide with cover but said the 7YO was always travelling kindly. He hit the front rounding the turn and then withstood a late challenge from Ring Of Honour ($19) with Ethical Dilemma ($17) and Winning Witness ($5) dead-heating for third in a busy finish.
"He ran super last start just got shuffled back at a vital stage and had to come right around them. On paper there didn't look like there would be much speed, we thought we would lob outside the leader, but he just didn't show enough toe to get there early but we got him travelling lovely and he did the rest," Wells said.
The win by Hot Relation was the first leg of a race-to-race double for trainer Yassy Nishitani who rounded out the program with The Spirit Of Zero ($6) taking out the 1600m BM68.
Ridden by Codi Jordan, The Spirit Of Zero was too strong for the Angela Brakey-trained pair of King Island ($3.10) and General Assembly ($3.10).
The Spirit Of Zero has now won two of his past three starts and four from 16 overall.
"I think that he is back in form now and we are thinking about the Devonport Cup (1880m in January) or something like that. He had success as a 2YO, but we had to wait for him to grow, we've been patient with him," Nishitani said.