3 minute read

Talented mare Reward Achiever looks set to be a major player in the outcome of the $50,000 Kevin Sharkie Sheffield Cup over 1650 metres in Devonport on Friday.

• Reward Achiever can atone in Sheffield Cup.
• Mare unlikely to progress to Devonport Cup.
• Many winning chances in final lead-up race to Devonpoprt Cup

The mare produced a tremendous effort last start to run third in the Golden Mile (1650m) two weeks ago, finishing only a length from the winner Rising Light that will also line up on Friday.

The Glenn Stevenson-trained mare has had only two starts over the trip for a win and the Golden Mile third and her trainer  is confident the six-year-old is capable of winning on Friday.

"She has done really well since the Golden Mile run and from a nice gate (4) she should be able to land in a nice spot and if she does get a cosy run in the race, she is a real winning chance," Stevenson said.

The winner of the Sheffield Cup secures ballot-free entry into the Devonport Cup on 11 January.

"She won't go to the Devonport Cup even if she wins on Friday because we have plans to head her to the Vamos Stakes (fillies and mares Group 3) in February, so after this run she will be freshened up and maybe drop back to 1200m and then onto the Vamos (1400m)."

Rising Light won the Golden Mile to guarantee him a start in the Devonport Cup and his trainer Gaeton Delon is hoping the gelding can take back-to-back wins into the Devonport Cup.

It was the gelding's best win this preparation and in-form apprentice Erica Byrne Burke will again partner the lightly raced five-year-old and she also has been confirmed as his rider in the Devonport Cup.

The Shaun Nichols-trained Sh'bourne Rebel has been working up to another win and gets his chance' although he was ridden too far back in the Golden Mile, and had no luck.

Rider Bulent Muhcu was searching for a run in the home straight and finished eighth but only 31/2 lengths from the winner.

Dark Wanderer is having his third start this time in and comes off a gallant third in the weight-for-age Conquering Stakes over 1400m in Launceston nine days ago.

The Sarah Cotton-trained seven-year-old was run off his legs first-up in the Newmarket but he looks well suited at this trip and warrants plenty of respect with last season's premiership-winning rider Codi Jordan aboard.

With little natural speed in the race Dark Wanderer could easily roll to the front and would take some running down if left alone, although Amaword could power over from barrier 10 to find the lead, which would be his best chance of winning.

White Hawk won last season's Devonport Cup and he was an eye-catching fourth in the Golden Mile after looming to win in the home straight.

His trainer Angela Brakey says the nine-year-old has improved since that effort.

"I couldn't be happier with White Hawk's prep this time in, and provided he has some luck in running I expect him to be hard to beat on Friday," Brakey said.

Dramazing was a shade disappointing in the Golden Mile after being heavily backed to start the $3.90 favourite, finishing seventh and almost three lengths from the winner.

The Barry Campbell-trained mare also must have a rider change with Anthony Darmanin's appeal against a four-meeting suspension imposed for failing to finish in the best possible position aboard Be Kinder in Launceston in March.

Darmanin's appeal was heard on 13 May, but the Tasmanian Racing Appeals Board reserved its decision and only announced the appeal has been dismissed on Wednesday (21 December).

But by delaying the decision until this week, Darmanin loses his rides at Devonport on Friday and at Hobart next Wednesday, leaving trainers scurrying to find a replacement rider.

He also will have to bypass New Year's Day at Longford and at one stage stood to have the suspension conclude at midnight 6 January, which meant he would have missed the big Tasmanian Stakes-Tasmanian Guineas meeting in Hobart that day.

But he was permitted, after a lengthy argument with stewards, to include the King Island meeting as part of the four-meeting ban that enables him to take rides at the 6 January meeting in Hobart.