Fans at the Launceston Cup meeting will get the chance to see Tasmania’s best thoroughbred The Cleaner before he heads back to the mainland.
Following Wednesday’s race The Cleaner goes to Melbourne for the Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington on March 14 after which trainer Mick Burles will make a decision on whether to stay in Melbourne or head to Sydney.
The Cleaner
Burles said the Mornington Cup (2000m) on March 28 was under consideration while The Cleaner has also been nominated for the Doncaster Mile (1600m) on April 4 and the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) a week later at Randwick.
The Cleaner makes his reappearance in the George Adams Plate (1600m), his first start since finishing ninth in the Railway Stakes in Perth last November.
That followed a fighting third to Hucklebuck in the Group One Emirates Stakes (1600m) on the final day of the Melbourne Cup carnival.
Burles said a gallop on Friday morning, which he described as a good blow-out, had the seven-year-old in top order.
“He’s bloody brilliant,” Burles said.
“He’s had a trial and it doesn’t take him long to come up. Sometimes he comes up a bit too quick.
“He’s won three times first-up at the 1600 and I know where he’s got to be to get there and he’s there all right.”
The only concern for Burles is a few of the younger up-and-coming Tasmanian challengers but he says the weight-for-age conditions of the George Adams “pulls them back a bit”.
“The horse is happy and I’ll let you know how happy I am after Wednesday’s race,” Burles said.
