Ned Looks To Light Up Launceston

DEVONPORT Chase finalist Ned Isakoff will look to go into Thursday night's heats of the Hobart Thousand as a last start winner when he steps out as a raging hot favourite tonight at Launceston.

The fashionably bred son of Black Magic Opal and Little Grey takes his place from box two in the eighth event on tonight's program, the drop back to fifth grade company enough to see bookmakers install him deep into the red at $1.60.

Winner at eight of his 16 starts, Ned Isakoff, a litter-brother to Group 1 Hume Cup hero True Detective, makes his Launceston debut tonight with trainer Pat Ryan hoping it will be a winning one.

"He's had the one post-to-post at Launceston and he went better than average so he should run a good race," Ryan said.

"The inside draw is an advantage; it's a tricky track Launceston, if they draw wide there you almost may as well leave them at home.

"The dog's no superstar but since he's come over from Victoria we've been able to place him in some low grade races and juveniles and really build up his confidence.

"Launceston will be a good hit-out going into Thursday night's (Hobart Thousand) heats. Realistically he's not going to win a Hobart Thousand so this run will be good experience for next month's Launceston Cup."

With Ned Isakoff all-the-rage for the final leg of tonight's quaddie, bookmakers see the Ben Englund-trained Wynburn Lethal as the only conceivable danger to the favourite, sitting at around the $3.00 mark in early markets from her box three draw.

"I'm surprised there's that much between them in betting to be honest," Ryan said.

"If Ben's bitch crosses and leads she'll be very hard to beat with the way she's raced at Launceston. My dog will need to come out and hold her out; if he does he's very strong – I'd expect him to be hard to beat from there."

Wynburn Lethal, a daughter of Dyna Double One boasts two wins from three Launceston appearances, included in those victories an all-the-way Gold Collar victory in 30.02 on November 11.

Another chaser using tonight's Launceston meeting as a lead up to Thursday night's Hobart Thousand heats is the Paul Hili-trained Nitro Sambar, set to start rock bottom odds to land the seventh event from box two.

Winner of the Devonport Chase consolation last Tuesday in 25.76, the son of Dyna Double One boasts a sizzling 29.65 personal best time for the Launceston 515 metres and from the cushy draw tonight is expected to comfortably justify his short odds.

And while the task tonight before the 13-race winner is expected to be rather straightforward, Thursday night's Hobart Thousand heat will be the polar opposite, tackling Australia's number one sprinter, Hooked On Scotch.