Racing
Blacker back in form and set to grow
Blacker with stables in Devonport.
Leading trainer John Blacker is set to continue his domination of Tasmanian racing, adding another satellite stable to his growing empire.
Blacker, who has won the past two premierships by sheer weight of numbers, is set to add a training base in Devonport to coincide with his operations in Longford and Brighton.
"We are just in the process of getting boxes in Devonport, so instead of the team travelling from Hobart to Devonport in one day, they can go down during the week and just walk across the road," Blacker said.
Baybougg, who completed a treble for Blacker in Launceston on Friday night, is the first winner to come from the Devonport stable.
Clinton Gaffney, partner of Blacker's daughter Laura, will oversee the Devonport operation.
Last year, Blacker had 805 starters across the season, more than double his nearest rival, John Keys, with 386.
Mazzini remains undefeated
Barry Campbell won't start his promising youngster, Mazzini, again before the $125,000 3yo Cup in Launceston on 21 November.
Mazzini returned to racing on Friday night, scoring an all-the-way win in a 1200m class 1, downing Daytona Diva in a spirited battle.
Mazzini, a brother to his stable star Durazzo, is now unbeaten from two starts and will be one of the top chances in what promises to be a hot field in the 3yo Cup.
"This horse is still a 2yo too, he's taking on older horses, a December foal, it's a few more days until he's a 3yo," Campbell said.
"Quick last 600m. The second horse is a really nice horse; they came home in 33.4 seconds, so they are not going to go much quicker than that."
Campbell is enjoying an incredible run of success with 12 winners from just 34 starters so far this season.
The master trainer will also saddle last season's 2yo of the year, Sanniya, in the 3yo Cup.
Jockey Kelvin Sanderson was having his first race ride on Mazzini and was full of praise.
"He stepped well, found the front, got away with some easy sectionals, and I knew at the half mile he would be hard to run down," Sanderson said after unsaddling.
"He's really hard work at trackwork, but when they can gallop like that, it just makes it so much easier."
Erica Byrne Burke increased her lead on the jockey's premiership with another three winners, her third treble from the past four meetings.
Byrne Burke rode three legs of the quadrella, winning on Sky Land, Sister Royal, which was clearly the ride of the night, and Baybougg.
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