15 May 2018 | Shane Yates
Impressive three-year-old colt Izaha proved himself the one to beat in the Globe Derby Final after cruising to an effortless victory in his heat in Launceston on Monday.
Trainer-driver Todd Rattray headed the field off shortly after the start and was never threatened over the 2200-metre journey.
The Rock on Joe-Our Zellweger colt (pictured), a half-brother to Easter Cup and Raider Stakes champion Harjeet, toyed with his rivals before accounting for the gallant runner-up Feelin Dusty by 6.1-metres, returning a mile-rate of 1:59.4 and a last half of 58.3 seconds with plenty in hand.
Dufrense was forced to work harder to clinch the second heat after surprisingly being headed off by Krafty Boy in the run to the first turn.
Trainer-driver Rohan Hillier quickly angled off the pegs to sit in the death seat at the leader’s wheel, before drawing level with the front-runner on straightening for the run to the judge.
Dufrense, in quest of its fourth straight victory, surged to the front at the 200-metre mark but then had to dig deep over the concluding stages when tackled by Tisu Spirit.
The Artistic Fella-Flo Jo Fernandez gelding rallied to the cause and got home for favourite punters by 1.4-metres over Tisu Spirit with Krafty Boy a further half metre away in third.
The Emma Stewart prepared Nostra Beach sent shivers down the spine of her Bandbox rivals, careering away to score at 49.2-metre victory in the Fillies Prelude.
Driver Sidney Van Den Brande allowed the Somebeachsomewhere-Amarillen filly to settle just worse than midfield before strolling around her rivals to assume control with 1200-metres to run.
Sydney increased the tempo entering the back straight and the Victorian trained filly responded the way you would expect an odds-on favourite would.
Nostra Beach dashed clear to make the Prelude a one-act affair, sprinting home in 56.6 seconds.
Former Tasmanian Derby winner Mister Lennox notched up his third consecutive Launceston Golden Mile with a powerful performance after sitting outside the leader throughout.
Magra trainer Juanita McKenzie brought up her 21st victory of the season as the Ricky Duggan driven six-year-old Changeover-Tuapeaka Osprey gelding accumulated his 16th career victory and took his stakemoney earnings over $140,000.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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