Adelaide Cup hero Do It will take aim at a second interstate Group 1 victory in Thursday night’s time-honoured Hobart Thousand final (460m).
Trained by Jeff Britton, Do It defeated litter brother and kennelmate Mr. Fix It to win the Adelaide Cup in October and he’s on the third line of TAB’s Hobart Thousand market at $4 from Box 6.
Fellow Victorian stars, three-time country cups winner Ferdinand Boy (Box 8) and G1 Melbourne Cup finalist Aussie Secret (Box 1) head betting at $2.60 and $2.90 respectively.
Aussie Secret, trained by Jason Thompson, won his heat in 25.98sec last Thursday, as did Do It, which clocked 26.06sec.
But while David Geall’s Ferdinand Boy was beaten by ex-Victorian Superior Wallis, raced by 1992 Brownlow Medallist Scott Wynd and wife Jodie, his time of 25.85sec was the second quickest recorded in the six qualifiers.
Superior Wallis ran down Ferdinand Boy to win the last heat in 25.82sec, having also beaten the Ballarat, Healesville and Shepparton Cups winner in the G3 Devonport Chase.
Do It, which is based with 2008 Thousand winner Mick Stringer for his tilt at Australia’s oldest G1 event, as is Aussie Secret, had Box 6 in his strong-finishing heat victory and he’ll again wear green in the $75,000 to-the-winner final.
“Mick (Stringer) said it’s not all bad because he has slow beginners on his inside (Superior Wallis) and outside (Keen),” Britton said.
“I think he just felt his way around last week.
“He hadn’t trialled, so I’m hoping there’s some improvement. The final is always a harder race so there needs to be!
HOBART THOUSAND HEAT WINNERS (Fastest to slowest):
25.82sec Superior Wallis
25.87sec Sacred Stance
25.98sec Aussie Secret
25.99sec Keen
26.06sec Do It
26.19sec Eagles Nest Egg
“From behind the boxes, Mick said he cut down pretty hard to the rail last week. He’ll head to the fence, so I think Ferdinand Boy will end up having a solo trial!
“Ferdinand Boy doesn’t need it, but Do It will give him more cover. The way Ferdinand Boy is drawn, he’s near a certainty. I reckon he just wins.
“Do It has to get a clear run to have any chance of reeling him in.”
Britton and partner Angela Langton met with very mixed fortunes with their two Hobart heat contenders, with G1 Melbourne Cup finalist Jepara running last at $1.55.
Do It, winner of 15 from 49, has always boasted enormous talent and he’s added consistency to his armoury in the second half of 2021, missing a place just once in his last ten starts.
Adelaide Cup winner Do It finished strongly to win his Hobart Thousand heat in 26.06sec
The well-bred son of Fernando Bale ran third to Aston Rupee in the G1 Topgun and was edged out by Barooga Smoke in the G3 Cup Night Sprint on Melbourne Cup night.
“One of the reasons we sent Do It and Jepara to Hobart was that we didn’t think too many Victorians would go down and we’d be mainly up against the locals,” Britton explained.
“That was the reason we went over to Adelaide too.
“I was more confident in the Adelaide Cup final because even though Aston Rupee was in the race, he was drawn out in Box 8 and our two were drawn near the rail.
“Do It has been racing over ‘500’ but it’s always been a hard 460m at Hobart, which suits him, and he did make the Warrnambool Cup final.”
Also flying the Victorian flag is $34 outsider Mepunga Gertie (Box 2), which is with caretaker trainer Eileen Thomas but is raced by breeding icon Barry Smith and prepared in her home state by Matt Lanigan, who trained 2016 Thousand winner Zipping Bruiser.
G1 HOBART THOUSAND (460m)
Thursday, Race 8, 9.40pm – First prize $75,000
1 AUSSIE SECRET (Jason Thompson, Pearcedale VIC)
2 MEPUNGA GERTIE (Eileen Thomas, Invermay TAS)
3 EAGLES NEST EGG (Ted Medhurst, Mangalore TAS)
4 SACRED STANCE (Ted Medhurst, Mangalore TAS)
5 SUPERIOR WALLIS (Nicole Howard, Richmond TAS)
6 DO IT (Jeff Britton, Anakie VIC)
7 KEEN (Debbie Cannan, Mangalore TAS)
8 FERDINAND BOY (David Geall, Lara VIC)
Reserves
9 KINSON BALE (Samantha Ferguson, Avalon VIC)
10 BROKEN ARROWS (Leonard Howard, Richmond TAS)
Ferdinand Boy is favourite to celebrate his first G1 victory in Thursday’s Hobart Thousand
