Blacker backing Warrior in Derby

Longford trainer John Blacker is confident his well-bred filly Glass Warrior can outstay her rivals and win today’s $150,000 Tasmanian Derby over 2200m at Elwick.

Glass Warrior (Siggy Carr) easily wins the $100,000 Launceston Guineas.

LONGFORD trainer John Blacker is confident his well-bred filly Glass Warrior can outstay her rivals and win today’s $150,000 Tasmanian Derby over 2200m at Elwick.

Glass Warrior has won her past two with the latest an exceptional win in the Launceston Guineas over 2100m at what was her first try over the distance.

That is the effort corporate bookmakers have acknowledged to have her second favourite today at $3.70.

“I have always believed this filly would develop into a strong stayer from day one based on her breeding and after what she did to them in the Launceston Guineas at her first crack at 2100m. We go into this race with a lot of confidence,” Blacker said.

“She relaxes in her races and she has a very good turn of foot and they are the two things needed to win a Derby and an Oaks.

“The Derby is her first main mission and the Oaks in a fortnight will be her grand finale.”

While Blacker is extremely upbeat about his filly’s winning chances today, she goes up against Cossetot from the powerful Godolphin stable which has two wins to his credit from only four starts with the latest victory coming in the city at Canterbury over 1550m.

Cossetot is Godolphin’s first starter in Tasmania.

On Sunday the stable’s promising three-year-old filly will tackle the 3YO Listed $100,000 Strutt Stakes over 2100m. Cossetot, prepared by James Cummings out of the Sydney stable, is a firm favourite at $2.30 and he will be ridden by Craig Newitt, who is excited about teaming up with one of the world’s biggest stables­.

“When I got the call to ride Cossetot I was pretty pumped because he will be the Godolphin stable’s first runner in the state,” Newitt said.

“His form reads well and while he is yet to be tried at the trip I’m sure James [Cummings] wouldn’t be sending him if he didn’t think he would be up to it.”

Cummings, however, play­ed down the chances of his first starter in the state.

“Cossetot is only lightly raced but he’s shown good potential in shorter races,” Cummings said.

“This will be a good test for him but he’s in form, so it’s well worth taking it on.”

Three other interstate invaders — Twilight Run from the Kevin Corstens stable, the Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra-trained Heir of Tavistock and Nero Veloce from the Matt Brown stable — will have their share of support, though Nero Veloce is considered a rank outsider.

The Rowan Hamer-trained Aspirate has shown some staying potential, so he looms as a potential place prospect, as does the Scott Brunton-trained filly Swing it Sister which was third to Glass Warrior in the Launceston Guineas.