The Shallows back in winning form Golden Apple heats 2021
The Shallows and Sunny Sanz both produced their best form to stake their claim for Saturday’s Tassie Golden Apple Final after heat win’s in Launceston on Friday night.
Trained and driven by Heath Woods, The Shallows, had been out of the winner's circle since mid-July, staked his claim for back-to-back Golden Apple Finals when coming from near last at the 400m to sprint home best to score.
“He went pretty good. He is starting to get back to the form he had last year, so it is very pleasing,” said Woods about the win.
“Through the winter, he raced a little bit flat. He was still running to the line but had just lost a little bit of spark, we gave him a short let up, and I was happy with his run in Launceston last start, where he made up good ground late and felt a bit better and then on Friday he felt like his old self,” explained the winning trainer-driver.
The Broadmarsh trainer-driver is looking forward to Saturday’s final, which has brought together an even field over the short standing start distance of 2200 metres.
“There will be a few back with us off the 30 meters, and a competitive bunch will start in front of us too,” Woods said.
One of those horses that will be off the front mark will be opening heat winner Sunny Sanz, who produced his best standing start manners to lead in his heat to hold off 30m backmarkers Ryley Major and Lip Reader over the concluding stages.
Gareth Rattray drove a confident race on Sunny Sanz in front, bowling along in quarters off 29.6s, 28.5s, 29.3s and 31.1s for the final mile.
The win was the second since the Kent Rattray prepared pacer has returned to the track from an injury-enforced layoff.
As has been the case with the Tassie Golden Apple in the past, the final is limited to 12 starters, opposed to the capacity standing start field limit of 14.
The barrier draw for Saturday’s final will be released on Tuesday afternoon.
