Ganderton gambles with gear change

Devonport-based trainer Mark Ganderton will make the trip to Hobart on Sunday optimistic his two mares will perform well in their respective races.

FAR AWAY HIT
FAR AWAY HIT Picture: Tasracing.com

Mark Ganderton will saddle-up Far Away Hit in the opening race, the Aviso Tas Pink Cup 1100m Class 1, and Monte Bianco in the Kevin Sharkie Mdn/Class 1 (1600m).

Far Away Hit has twice trialled since finishing midfield in Launceston on 1 March.

"She's a really talented filly but she has caused me some headaches. She hangs, she won't jump away, she over-races, you name it she does it wrong," Ganderton explained.

"For the first time in her life, the other day at the trials she started to hang out and bump into the horse on her outside after hanging in for most of her life."

To combat that, Ganderton has taken winkers off and replaced them with an offside blinker and a near side winker.

"But the flip side of that is they can sometimes party out of the machine (barrier) so hopefully we haven't shot ourselves in the foot."

The main danger to Far Away Hit looks to be Geegees Gemstone who created a big impression with a first-up win in December before two unplaced runs. The 3YO has been freshened up since finishing down the track in the Tasmanian Guineas at Listed level in early January.

Monte Bianco signalled a win wasn't too far away with a fast finishing second in Launceston on Cup Day before finishing sixth of 10 beaten less than two lengths 11 days ago.

"I thought she was terrific Cup Day when she ran second and then the other night she just got back in a race where they went slow and she made ground.

"I thought her late sectionals were terrific, to the eye the run may have looked a bit plain but I thought she went really well."

Monte Bianco is usually ridden by Daniel Ganderton but he is sidelined with a broken collarbone and Brendon McCoull will ride the mare on Sunday.

Smart filly interstate bound

Ganderton also trialled his smart mare Sirene Stryker in Devonport on Tuesday, her next assignment will be interstate.

"There's a race for her at Sandown on the 8 April, a benchmark 84 race for fillies and mares over 1200 metres."

Looking for a bit of value on Sunday, I thought the last start run of La Louve in Launceston was much better than it appears on paper and could be a nice each way bet in race 3.

The seven-event card gets under at 12.35 with the final race scheduled for 16.17. Jacob Bevis will live host the day of racing on TasracingTV.


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