28 May 2024 | Duncan Dornauf for Tasracing
Brighton trainer Danny Malone was all smiles after claiming his biggest win in the sport, when Southern Luck claimed the $30,000 Trainers Encouragement Final (2200m) in Launceston on Sunday night.
Sent out as the $3.10 second favourite, driver Rohan Hillier positioned the five-year-old gelded son of Ifihadyourluck two-back in the running line, and was three-wide with cover at the bell.
Hillier had to move four-wide to get around a tiring runner down the back straight before joining the leaders at the top of the straight. The gelding proved too tough late to score by 1.6m over Jilliby Mendoza ($2.70 fav) and Loyola Trios ($16) in a mile rate of 1:59.9.
Malone, who also bred the pacer and is one of the part-owners, only has two horses racing at present was rapt with the effort of his pacer.
“It’s a huge thrill.
“He is a tough horse. It’s in the breed.
“He has been a slow maturing horse, and he wants to be a racehorse now,” Malone said.
The trainer admitted that he would try and have a quiet celebration and was quick to point out others involved in the win.
“Peter Knapp has a share in him, and he will be rapt, as will my stablehand, Mel, and the missus Jackie.
“There have been plenty in the industry that have helped me out with him like Phillip Ford and Mark Reggett with his shoeing, and (driver) Rohan Hillier, he is a great driver, he has shown the way with him, and has great patience with him,” said Malone.
Southern Luck is the second foal to race out Malone’s mare Mint Tan, the other being Spooky Girl, but there are a few more horses out of the mare that Malone is looking forward to racing in time.
“I have got Hanover the Mint, who is an un-raced three-year-old Sutter Hanover filly, and we have got a Lennytheshark colt, so there’s plenty to do at home,” the trainer said.
Latrobe Cup
Mista Eagle has had three starts since joining the Wayne Yole stable, and the seven-year-old gelding has won them all, with the most recent win coming in the $14,000 Lucas Hotel Latrobe Cup (2200m) on Sunday.
The pacer sat back in the field and produced his customary fast finishing sprint to record a 5.4m win, with in-form driver Kyle Pratten in the sulky.
“I thought he may have been a bit out of his depth. But he seems to be taking each step up in grade in his stride.
“We were lucky they went pretty hard early, which suited him down to the ground. We sat on Keayang Fitzy, who is a pretty nice horse, and we ran away from him,” said Pratten.
Leigh Plunkett
Five-year-old mare Imthemightylucy has seen plenty of the country this year.
She raced at metropolitan level at Gloucester Park in Western Australia before winning at Port Pirie in South Australia earlier this month. She is in Tasmania for a short campaign, which kicked off with a win in the $14,000 Leigh Plunkett (2200m).
Prepared by Aaron Bain, driver Mark Yole positioned the $2.60 second-favourite back in the field before letting down with a fast sprint to record her 10th career win by 7m.
“It was a terrific effort.
“Aaron was confident, and he would have wanted me to sit up on her longer than I did as she is a high-speed horse, but I had to roll the dice when I did on how the race panned out, and she sustained it and won pretty comfortable,” said Yole after the race.
The win completed a winning treble in the sulky for Yole.
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