Stop Line's Sizzling Gold Cup Success

LOCALLY-bred sprinter Stop Line stamped himself as a  Group 1 Hobart Thousand contender with an all-the-way victory in last Thursday night's Sky Racing Tasmanian Gold Cup Final (461m) at Hobart.

 Jumping from box six in the feature, the son of St. Pierre went stride for stride with Corykodi in the early stages before putting the paw to the floor in the run to the turn, carving across to take up the top spot.

Swinging into the home straight, Stop Line hit the accelerator, surging clear of his opponents to score by 3 ¾ lengths over a courageous Corykodi with Gold Lenny third in a red-hot 25.68, bringing up his ninth victory from 13 career starts.

It was a win described by Westbury trainer Jillian Stamford as "one for the family".

Stop Line is bred by Jillian's son Rodney Stamford and owned in partnership with Debbie Cannan.

Both Jillian and husband Richard successfully claimed their second Tasmanian Gold Cup and a first for 21 years, since their former top-flight galloper and Hobart Thousand winner Shantung Tiger saluted at the former Showgrounds circuit.

"He's a smart chaser who has come along really well lately," Jillian said of Stop Line.

"Our son Rodney bred the litter and it has been his blood line going back to a bitch he raced called New Roulette. Stop Line's litter didn't break-in well, they just needed more time to mature so we put them down in a paddock at home for 12 months.

"It may have been a little longer than normal but it's payed off in the end."

Dam Topline Doovee was a stellar performer on the track winning 29 races and $62K in stakes.

Her most noted victory can on the big stage was the Group 2 Western Australian Oaks at Cannington when trained by Linda Britton. Topline Doovee won several races in Tasmania and was runner-up to Little Spaniard in the 2008 Hobart Thousand.

Stop Line made his career debut back in July of this year when finishing fourth to Winklee Sandy at Launceston, two starts later the black sprinter let down for a break-through victory at Devonport, running a sizzling 25.68.

Jillian and Richard Stanford have combined over the years to train three Hobart Thousand winners.

Double Time was the Stamfords first victory in the time-honoured classic back in 1984, when he famously downed Highland Port and Sheila's Teresa.

Shantytown and Shantung Tiger are some of the best sprinters to have won the Hobart Thousand.