Ciaron Maher’s yard is utilising a familiar approach to help Strawberry Rock rediscover his winning touch leading into Hobart.
Sunday’s Group 3 Hobart Cup (2400m) presents Strawberry Rock with a chance at repeat success after overcoming Promises Kept, a former barn-mate, last year.
Ciaron Maher Racing National Assistant Trainer Jack Turnbull indicated that the horse has undergone a month of preparation at Seven Mile Beach focused on building leg speed.
Last year’s Hobart win remains Strawberry Rock’s most recent success, but he was narrowly beaten into second in the Listed Mornington Cup in April.
He endured a defeat by a matching margin in this season’s Pakenham Cup as before, while his latest effort on December 31 resulted in a 1.7-length loss in the Listed Bagot Handicap (2800m) at Flemington.
“We took Strawberry over early just because of the way they are trained over there,” Turnbull said.
“The environment is much easier for them. Last year he was only treading water, and he really came on when he went there with Promises Kept.
“He was racing very dour and we needed to get some speed in his legs and hopefully we’ve done that down there again.”
The training regime at Seven Mile Beach echoes Cranbourne conditions to some extent, Turnbull observed.
“They live in sand yards,” Turnbull said.
“The bush tracks are fantastic, and you have access to the beach. It replicates what we have at Cranbourne to an extent, but it’s deeper sand and you can incorporate wading through the water.”
Stablemate Ziryab joins him for Sunday’s race, having been sent to Seven Mile Beach at the same juncture as Strawberry Rock.
Ziryab held an edge over Strawberry Rock in the Pakenham Cup before running eighth in Hobart’s Summer Cup (2000m) on January 18 after a taxing trip in Tasmania.
“He was wide, no cover, keen, and ran poor,” Turnbull said.
“He’s given us no reason to bring him home and his work has been solid from then through to now.
“He’s the pick of the two if he was to get back into the form he was in Melbourne as Strawberry needs to lift a little, and hopefully he does.”
Fans can dive into the betting markets for the race to back Maher’s challengers in the Hobart Cup.
The post Maher has two-pronged Hobart Cup attack first appeared on Just Horse Racing.
