Unlucky Jasminka confirms Sydney Group One plans

By Glenn Davis

BRISBANE, March 13 AAP - It's full steam ahead to Sydney for promising mare Jasminka despite having her colours lowered at Doomben on Saturday.

Jasminka, who was having her first start since November, left trainer Brian Smith beaming after she went down by a neck to In A Bind in the Nestle Handicap (1350m).

Jockey Larry Cassidy rated Jasminka unlucky not to win after being hampered for room halfway down the straight.

"I had the opportunity to take a short cut but I thought I made the right decision not to take off at the 600 metres," Cassidy said.

"She should have won."

Smith also praised Cassidy who elected to go back to third last on the four-year-old mare before setting her alight approaching the home turn.

"I'm pleased with that and she'll still go to Sydney," Smith said.

"Larry rode her very well from the alley and in the (slow) conditions. If he had done anything else he would have been caught off the track.

"When she got into the straight I still don't know how Larry managed to get through the gap when she was being hampered for room."

Smith is yet to finalise Jasminka's Sydney campaign but confirmed the Group One Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill on April 3 would be her likely mission.

"I'm not sure about her next start but there's a nice race for her in two weeks in Sydney," he said.

"She was a bit fiery and fresh before today's race and she's most probably more a Winter Stakes horse here during the winter carnival.

"She's got untapped potential and is a classy mare and I think she can be freshened up after Sydney for the Winter Stakes."

The Group One Winter Stakes (1400m) will be run at Eagle Farm in June.

Earlier Tripitz earned a shot at the Listed Toowoomba Cup (2150m) on his home track on April 15 following his narrow victory in the Pine Valley Handicap (2100m).

In a deceptive photo, Tripitz held off the fast-finishing Spechenka to score by a nose with Bold Distinction the same margin away third.

Tripitz, who finished fourth in last year's Toowooomba Cup, was runner-up to the Clarry Conners-trainer Apercu as a two-year-old in the Group One TJ Smith (1600m) at Eagle Farm in 2007.

Trainer Mark Webb always considered Tripitz to be a stayer and considered sending him to Melbourne for the 2007 Victoria Derby.

Now a five-year-old, Tripitz appears to be finally living up to Webb's early assessment with the seventh win of his career.

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