Horse Racing

This Sunday the action of the Tasmanian Summer Racing Carnival will step up a notch with the running of the 2012 Hobart Guineas.

This year the $90,000 Listed Betfair Hobart Guineas (2100m) has attracted 13 nominations, the highest-rated of which is the Anthony Freedman-trained colt Caravaggio.

A winner of their past three starts on the trot in Victoria over a mile, Al Maher three-year-old Caravaggio was last seen running home to win Race 1 at Sandown on January 11 when carrying a hefty 58kg.

While yet to race outside of their home state, or further than 1600 metres, Caravaggio has plenty of class having raced competitively in the Group 2 Bill Stutt Stakes (1600m) finishing a credible third last September, and if they can get the distance this weekend should be competitive.

Last year Caravaggio’s former trainer Lee Freedman, brother of Anthony, won the Hobart Guineas with Singspiel mare Ludka who came off back-to-back wins in Victoria before taking out the feature.

A key lead-up race to the Hobart Guineas was the Tasmanian Guineas (1600m) held at Launceston back on January 4 and won by the Leon Macdonald and Andrew Gluyas-trained Moving Money.

Last year’s Hobart Guineas runner-up Tiger Won’t Tell ran fourth in the Tasmanian Guineas.

They also went on to finish a credible fourth to Mourinho in the Group 3 Tasmanian Derby (2200m) at Hobart, run this year on February 4, which is often the logical next-up assignment for three-year-olds after the Hobart Guineas.

While this year’s Tasmanian Guineas winner Moving Money hasn’t been nominated for the Hobart Guineas on Sunday, runner-up Barysh Quest from the stables of Gary White and the fourth-placed Jarss Act prepared by Patrick Payne have.

Other notable Hobart Guineas 2012 nominees include Neil Walsh’s Rock Of Gibraltar colt Zuma Roc last seen winning over 2040 metres at Moonee Valley on New Year’s Eve and the Mark Kavanagh-trained Meshmaker who won by an easy four and a half lengths over 1800 metres at Morphettville on January 7.

Stay tuned at Races.com.au to view the complete 2012 Hobart Guineas final field and race preview later in the week.

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2012 Hobart Guineas Nominations

Hobart 22/01/2012