Favoured runners take Easter Cup heats

Triedtotellya and Star Major won their respective heats of the Ladbrokes Easter Cup (2698m) in Launceston on Sunday night, cementing their spots in Saturday night’s $75,000 Final.

Progressive talent Triedtotellya ($1.60 fav) was having his first start in open-class company, his first try at 2698m, and his first standing start attempt, and he easily ticked all of those boxes, stepping cleanly from the tapes to lead.

Trainer-driver Rohan Hillier dictated affairs, running a lead time of 83.6s before quarters of 29.6s, 30.9s, 27.7s, and 28.3s. The mile rate was recorded in 1:59.4s.

The Well Said gelding won by 11.8m over Magician ($8.50) and Pardoe Plugga ($61).

It was the pacer’s second start since Triedtotellya joined the Hillier stable. Given the pacers’ previous tendon injuries, they wanted to take advantage of Hillier’s swimming facilities and the nearby beach.

Star Major ($5), runner-up in last year’s Easter Cup, won the second heat of the Cup when overcoming a 20m handicap.

Driver Gareth Rattray got the Todd Rattray-trained Art Major gelding around the field down the home straight the first time to lead the one-wide line for the final 1900m of the race.

The pacer proved too strong late, winning by a neck over Eureka Jo ($7.00). Last year’s Easter Cup winner The Shallows ($18) ran third.

Mydadsaid ($1.95 fav) took up the lead soon after the start and ran a lead time of 83.0s before quarters of 31.3s, 29.3s, and 28.0s before he gave ground in a 28.5s final quarter.

Star Major’s mile rate off his 20m handicap was 1:58.5s, while the gross time of 3:20.1s was the exact same as the heat won by Triedtotellya.

The Group 3 $75,000 final will be held on Saturday night.

Easter Cup last half mile’s as recorded on Tasracing’s Calculated sectionals.

Heat 1: Triedtotellya 56.00s, Magician 56.26s, Pardoe Plugga 56.84s, Helluva 56.86s and Keayang Fitzy 57.56s.

Heat 2: Magnetic Terror 55.58s, All By Myself 55.98s, The Shallows 56.07s, Eureka Jo 56.09s and Star Major 56.30s.

For complete race results, click here.

by Duncan Dornauf, for Tasracing