A 10-race program at Launceston’s Ladbrokes Racing Centre Mowbray on Sunday night features key lead-ups to several feature races.
The meeting includes two heats of the Faithful Park Stud Tassie Golden Apple (2200m), two heats of the Nutrien Ag Solutions Globe Derby (2200m) for Tasbred three-year-old colts and geldings, and the 6ty Bandbox Prelude (2200m) for three-year-old fillies.
All three finals are in Launceston on Sunday, 29 November.
Charlie Castles prepares five-year-old mare Sabine, who resumes off a 20m handicap in the first Golden Apple heat.
The Dawn Ofa New Day mare has won nine of 42 starts and been placed several times in strong company.
“She’s sort of ran a lot of second placings. That’s boosted her rating pretty high,” Castles said.
“It’s not an ideal race for her first-up, but she’s been working well enough that we’ve got to kick off somewhere. She’s a good beginner, and with a soft trip, she’ll finish off strong.”
Sabine is raced by Mick Boots, who also owns Jacks Ultimate Fury, the only Victorian-trained Golden Apple contender.
Prepared by Russell Jack and driven by his son Nathan, the four-year-old will also begin from 20m. He qualified for the standing start in a Shepparton trial on 29 October, beaten half a metre in a mile rate of 2:00.0s.
He has raced at a high level throughout his career, and he has recorded a career-best winning mile rate of 1:50.3 in Menangle in June and resumes following a fourth in a Melton free-for-all on 1 August.
In the second Golden Apple heat, Castles drives the Leigh Rand-trained Pardoe Plugga, who resumes off the front mark.
The 10-year-old won a Golden Apple heat in 2024 and finished fourth, beaten only 2.1m, in this year’s Devonport Cup in Launceston in January.
“That was a massive run,” Castles said.
“If you can bring form similar to that, you think off the front that you can finish close enough in that race to qualify and then be a chance in the final.”
Castles trains and drives Morikawa in the second Globe Derby heat after the Always B Miki colt’s first-up win in Launceston on 1 November.
“I don’t think the barrier is too much of a worry,” he said of barrier seven.
“He’s probably better off with a sit anyway. So we’ll just take our medicine early and see what happens there.”
He partners Omybacnknees Judge in the opening heat, with the gelding chasing his second career win.
“If they go hard, that’ll suit him. He seems to be a bit stronger than quicker,” Castles said.
Likeyouforareason and Always Bettor will likely battle favourites, both horses having changed stables since they last raced.
Castles completes his feature-race engagements aboard the Rebecca Bartley-trained Mariana in the Bandbox Prelude.
The Sutter Hanover filly, bred and owned by Marc Panton, won on debut in Cranbourne in August before finishing fourth in Maryborough later that month.
“It seems to go all right. Its win was quite good,” Castles said.
The program commences at 16:44, with a minor time adjustment to race one allowing all races to now be scheduled for Sky Racing 1.
