Teams Clash at Tattersalls Park
- Thursday, 16 April 2009 00:00
The Tasmanian Racing Challenge heats up this Sunday at Tattersalls Park with two serious clashes between Derwent and Tamar Team stars.
The under card will see the Bill Ryan trained Vintilla take on the Jason Clifford trained Loaded Owners in a $20,000 Three Year Old Handicap.
Vintilla, a beaten favourite at his most recent start, will be on the second line of betting but this is of no concern to trainer Bill Ryan.
"He has taken a few runs to get his head around this racing caper but he did a lot of work at his most recent outing and only knocked up the last fifty", Ryan said.
"I think he will finish in the money and most certainly has the ability to win it".
"I will take him along easily and i think that he has the potential to race in Victoria", Clifford said ahead of Sunday's feature race.
"This Sunday is his first mission though and I am sure he will find it a much tougher assignment than his first start, but I wouldn't want to be training any other horse in the race", said Clifford confidently.
The main event will be one for the ladies with the Elesha Spillane trained Mijabele coming up against the in-form Gary White trained Helsinki Jones.
Mijabele is the highest rated horse in the fillies and mares event but is not suited by the 1100m trip.
"She is first up and will find it hard against these classy sprinting mares", said Spillane following an impressive workout by Mijabele during the week.
"But on her work and the fact that there looks to be a lot of pace in the race I am confident she will be flashing home late".
"She has been up a long time and is dropping back in distance against good horses", White said, before conceding that he still believed the mare would win.
"She is a tough little mare and her work, attitude and ability all point to her being very hard to beat".
All this should make for an exciting day for members of both teams.