Griffiths Chasing Hobart Cup With Lightweight
- Monday, 07 February 2005 00:00
Cranbourne trainer Robbie Griffiths is looking to realise a long-range plan with his talented mare Porto Douro in the $200,000 Group 3 AAMI Hobart Cup (2100m) at Elwick next Monday (February 14).
Griffiths targeted the AAMI Hobart Cup for the mare three months ago and when the four-year-old won an open handicap for fillies and mares at Caulfield over 1950m on Boxing Day he declared the Hobart feature as her main mission.
“I’ve stretched her out in distance since the start of this preparation back in October and she has pleased me with every run,” Griffiths said.
“She won well at Sandown over 1800m five starts back. She followed up with a good win at Caulfield on Boxing Day when she carried 55.5kg and her past three runs have been very pleasing,” he said.
At her latest outing, Porto Douro finished a creditable sixth behind another AAMI Hobart Cup candidate Special Scene in the Gurner’s Lane Handicap over 2540m at Flemington last Saturday week.
Porto Douro (Encosta De Lago-Special Brew) will appreciate her lightweight of 51.5kg in the AAMI Hobart Cup, given she carried 56.5kg in an open handicap at Sandown two starts back when a gallant third behind Repute and Burning Platform.
It was the performance at Sandown that convinced Griffiths he had a genuine AAMI Hobart Cup prospect.
Griffiths has yet to finalise a jockey for the race but said Luke Nolan was being considered even though he has never ridden the mare.
“I don’t think we’ll have any trouble securing a suitable rider but we’ll be looking at finalising a jockey by Tuesday and travel arrangements also will be confirmed by then,” he said.
Travel arrangements to Tasmania for last-start Caulfield winner Party Pie are locked in with the lightly raced four-year-old booked on the Spirit of Tasmania on Wednesday and star apprentice Blake Shinn is confirmed as the rider.
Party Pie was an impressive winner over another AAMI Hobart Cup candidate You Little Beaut in an open handicap over 2000m at Caulfield on Australia Day.
Party Pie’s trainer Gerard Moloney said he couldn’t be happier with the promising young stayer.
“The horse has done extremely well since his Caulfield win and he will go into the Cup at his peak,” Moloney said.
“I galloped him on the steeple grass at Caulfield on Saturday morning and he worked a treat so everything is ticking along nicely,” he said.
Party Pie has only had 10 starts of which seven have been in this preparation.
The Brocco-Surreal Thing four-year-old broke his maiden status on debut in May last year at Benalla (1200m) and backed up a fortnight later with a strong win in a Class 1 at Seymour.
Moloney then tried him in the city but the gelding finished last in a 3YO handicap (1528m) after which he was spelled.
He resumed at Sale in late October to just miss a place in a Class 2 handicap but the gelding has gone from strength to strength since winning a Class 6 handicap over 1600m at Ballarat on December 12.
“The Hobart Cup will tell us if he’s as good as I think he is,” Moloney said.
Media Release - AAMI Hobart Cup
