MARCH 19th 2008
Carnival huge success
THE AAMI Tasmanian Summer Racing Carnival has continued to grow and the 2008 carnival has been hailed one of the best. The four-week carnival again boasted many brilliant functions including the Southern Cross Oaks Ball. The feature act Stayin' Alive left all who attended eager to book for next year's event. The Magic Millions Yearling Sale was brilliant with the sale average up considerably on the previous year courtesy of an outstanding draft. Interstate horses dominated the bulk of the feature races. Victorian trainer Darren Weir snared his second AAMI Hobart Cup when Offenbach (Craig Williams) demolished his rivals by over six lengths and fellow Victorian mentor Colin Little prepared Ista Kareem (Danny Brereton) to win the AAMI Launceston Cup. It continued Little's run of success in Tasmania having snared the quinella the 2007 AAMI Hobart Cup with Blutigeroo and Rubijon. The Cadbury Tasmania Derby was won by Mega Boss, prepared in Victoria by Peter Morgan while the PFD Food Services Tasmanian Oaks was won by the Tony Vasil-trained Causeway Queen. Local here Stuyvesant ensured the local brigade kept some of the big prizemoney in the state by winning both open feature weight-for-age races in the Thomas Lyons Stakes and George Adams Plate. Victorian trainer Peter Moody captured the $80,000 Swettenham Stud Bow Mistress with his quality mare Diamond Cove while the other fillies and mares feature, the Vamos Stakes in Launceston, was taken out by the John Hogan-trained Blazonry, just in advance of star Tasmanian mare Reunification. The $100,000 Shaw Contracting Magic Millions 2YO Classic was won by Victorian filly Super Confident from the Peter Moody stable but the bulk of the prizemoney on offer to the winner of the $150,000 Finance Brokers of Tasmania Gold Sovereign Stakes stayed in Tasmania courtesy of the David Brunton-trained Testamarriage scoring an impressive win over Victorian colt Apprehend. The crowd on AAMI Hobart Cup day was about 17,000 while almost 22,000 attended the AAMI Launceston Cup. |