Easter Cup winner Scooterwillrev will be chasing another Launceston feature on Sunday in the $12,000 Launceston Mile.
The Craig Hayes-trained pacer has had two starts since that Group 2 victory, including a Launceston win on 11 April where he led all the way to score in a 57.5s last half mile, before finishing runner up to Blackbird Power in the Devonport Quality on 2 May.
From an inside second-row draw on that occasion, driver Gareth Rattray worked the pacer into a one-out one-back position at the 850-metre point before finding clear racing room at the 200-metre point to run Blackbird Power down to 1.2 metres.
Although Scoterwillrev has won 28 races in his career, only three of those wins have been over the sprint trip. In fact, his last win under 2090 metres was in Hobart in August 2017, where he flew around the mile trip in 1m 56.8s in a C4 to C6 event.
Admittedly the bulk of his 15 starts of races between 1609 metres to 1800 metres have been in much tougher company at Menangle in Sydney.
On Sunday, his main danger is last years winner, Cool Water Paddy, who will be chasing three wins in a row with his best success this campaign coming last Sunday in Hobart.
The gelded son of Ohoka Arizona loves the sprint trip with three wins and one-second placing from four tries.
While the market has the race narrowed down to a race in two, it wouldn’t be a total surprise to see any of the remaining runners cause an upset.
Illegal Immigrant is a noted sprint trip specialist and will be having his first start since finishing down the track in an Easter Cup heat.
The Mark Yole-trained duo Murry and Blackbird Power have been racing well. Blackbird Power winning Devonport’s sprint feature two runs ago, with Mark electing to drive that pacer, while Murry will be driven by Adrian Collins, who is returning to the sulky from an injury sustained from a fall in January.
Other runners Offthetopofmyhead and Coolhand Easton, are both capable if they produce their best.
The Launceston Mile is race five on the card and is set down for 19:17.
Race One is the only race scheduled for Sky Racing 2 at 17:07, with the remainder of the card on Sky Racing 1.
All races will be streamed on TasracingTV.
