It’s the final major race day of the Tasmanian summer, and some quality black type features headline Wednesday’s 2023 Launceston Cup Day!
There are ten winners to be found, and you can find my full day preview and 2023 Launceston Cup Day Tips below.
This looks a nice kick off point for Amabutho.
Amabutho has made six appearances at the races without recording an elusive win, but he has shown promise, and he wasn’t disgraced at Listed level last time out.
He has been competitive at this point of his preparation previously and this is the easiest task that he has been set.
There is a case to be made for a few of them in this contest, and I thought that Kreglinger rated as a key winning chance.
Kreglinger has made only two appearances at the races since debuting, and he kept his best work for last here at Launceston last time out, finishing only a length and a half behind the winner.
With improvement, he can begin his rise through the grades.
Princess Matoaka takes winning form into the third on Launceston Cup Day and looks well placed to make it two in a row.
The Wordsmith mare rarely returns a poor effort, and finished second behind the promising Muscle Up here when resuming before breaking her maiden over 1200m last time out.
This is harder, but she harbours further improvement, and the rise in trip looks ideal at this point of her preparation.
Imagine Howe is chasing a hat-trick on Launceston Cup Day and is drawn to receive every chance.
The Adam Trinder-trained gelding has continued to improve with each start back from a spell, and returned to winning form with a dominant effort in BM62 company at Devonport last month.
He franked that performance with another eye-catching one over a mile here at Launceston last time out, and he’s another galloper that should relish getting further out in trip.
There is a case to be made for a few of them in Wednesday’s featured sprint for three-year-olds, but I have been with Muscle Up at his last couple of starts, and I don’t see any reason to jump off this week.
The Zululand gelding has hardly put a hoof wrong since debuting and is yet to finish worse that second, and his last two starts have suggested he’s gone to a new level.
He takes his place in this race in peak order and it really does look an ideal feature race for him.
The consistent Just A Tribute takes her place in the sixth on Launceston Cup Day, and it does look another lovely race for him.
Just A Tribute recorded three wins from four starts last time in, finishing second on the other occasion, and I thought that he was decent behind The Inevitable at Listed level when resuming this time.
His second-up record is good, and he’s drawn ideally and weighted well, and I am confident that any improvement would see him into the finish.
The Inevitable has record five wins from as many starts this time in and perhaps unsurprisingly, he is a $1.28 favourite in Hellova Street Stakes betting at publish.
The Dundeel gelding has been the stable star for leading Tasmanian horseman Scott Brunton throughout his career, and a hopeful crack at the All-Star Mile is his major target this time in.
There is no value left in that win quote, so I am instead going to select him as the winner in an Exacta, and pump up my odds further with Swoop Dog running second.
Exacta selections:
- 1 The Inevitable (Win)
- 4 Swoop Dog (2nd)
Military Mission was an impressive winner of the Hobart Cup at his last start, and he can complete the Tasmanian Cups double when he takes his place in Wednesday’s Launceston Cup.
The Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained stayer has improved with each start, and as he has gotten further out in trip this campaign, finishing third in the Australia Day Cup before kicking clear to win easily last time.
He steps out this week in peak order, and anything close to his last-start effort would almost certainly be good enough again.
The Vamos Stakes is a typically open affair with plenty of live chances, and I’ve found a couple that I like the look of.
The first is the locally-trained Take A Sit, who has picked off plenty of nice races throughout her career, including this one last year.
She takes improvement into this contest following a credible effort for fourth in an 1100m Handicap last month, and she’s had two slick trials since that appearance.
The other is Victorian raider Lunares, who is also second up from a spell.
Lunares has returned some nice performances throughout her career, and she was just pipped late by Irish Mist at Pakenham when returning to action earlier this month.
This is a rise in class, but she too will improvement, while she can also make all of her own luck up on the speed.
I’m happy to stick with Our Shinkansen in the last on Launceston Cup Day.
Our Shinkansen has been a great horse for the Trinder yard for a few seasons now, and returned an handy winner at a lovely price here last month.
I like that he has been kept fresh for this race and with even luck, he certainly has the class to win.