03 April 2023 | Duncan Dornauf for Tasracing
For the second consecutive year, Victorian trainer Emma Stewart prepared both Ladbrokes Easter Cup heat winners and for the second successive week, the 2698m standing start track record was broken in heats of the Launceston Pacing Club’s premier race.
Last week Like A Wildfire took 0.6s of Harjeet’s record that had stood since his win in the 2018 Easter Cup.
On Sunday, Ladbrokes Tasmania Cup winner Wheres The Gold shaved a further 0.6s off, with a mile rating from his 20m handicap at 1m 57.9s.
Driver Mitch Ford got the $1.30 favourite away safely to settle five back the pegs before improving into the race at the 1700m to race outside the leader.
Wheres The Gold ran to the lead at the 650m and raced away for a 19.8m win over Racketeers Boy ($26) and Sunny Sanz ($26).
“He was very good tonight,” said Ford post-race.
“I didn’t want to sit back in the field as there was a steady tempo early in the race, so that’s when I made my move.
“I didn’t really move on him. He put a gap on them going through the corner, and on straightening, he found again,” the driver added.
If Wheres The Gold is successful in Saturday nights $75,000 final, he will become the first horse to win Tasmania and Easter Cups in the same year since Quite Famous in 1987.
Only two other horses have won both races since, Thorate and Motu Crusader. However, they were in different years.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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