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Exciting Tasmanian stayer Eastender will have to overcome a strong interstate challenge to extend his winning sequence in Sunday’s $250,000 Hobart Cup at Elwick.
Eastender is a popular local fancy for the Hobart Cup after wins in the Devonport Cup and Summer Cup at his last two starts that have taken the five-year-old’s record to eight wins in 19 outings.
The Barry Campbell-trained stayer carried 59kg under the weight-for-age conditions of the Summer Cup (2200m) at Elwick on January 27 and will drop to 55kg – only 1kg over the limit - for the step up to 2400m under the handicap conditions on Sunday.Craig Newitt has retained the ride on Eastender, who came from last to run down the 2017 Hobart Cup winner Count Da Vinci in the Summer Cup.
It's the second Hobart Cup attempt for Eastender after he disappointed last year when finishing only eighth as a heavily backed $4 chance.The astute Campbell has such a big opinion of Eastender that he has laid plans to take him to South Australia for the Adelaide Cup (3200m) in March after he contests the Hobart Cup/Launceston Cup double.
The $250,000 Launceston Cup (2400m) will be run at Mowbray on February 27 but first Eastender has to repel a strong list of interstate rivals in the Hobart Cup.The entry list grew to 16 when the Sydney front runner Fabrizio was included as a late entry by the Gai Waterhouse/Adrian Bott stable after nominations for the Hobart Cup were extended until 10am on Tuesday.
Waterhouse has had a number of Hobart Cup starters over the years but is yet to win the feature race.Other interstate entries include the in-form Melbourne stayers Al Galayel, Lamborghini, Second Bullet and Ballarat Cup winner Kiwia, entered by the embattled Darren Weir but to race in the Hobart Cup for the Archie Alexander stable.
Kiwia and Fabrizio are joint topweights for the Hobart Cup with 59kg ahead of Count Da Vinci (56.5kg), Second Bullet (56kg) and Al Galayel (55.5kg).Weir also nominated Teodora for the Hobart Cup but a replacement trainer for the mare has not been named.
The Hobart Cup field will be declared on Wednesday.