Story by AAP

Tasmanian trainer Elesha Spillane thought it was a prank call when she was told Damien Oliver wanted to ride her promising filly Speedy Sky.

Spillane, based at Spreyton, has only been training for three years and was unprepared for the call from Oliver's manager Mark Van Triet.

"I was in the car at the time when his manager rang me and I thought it was somebody playing a trick on me," Spillane said.

She said it wasn't until she compared the number that came up on her mobile phone with website contacts that she was satisfied the call had been genuine."

"It was a nice surprise," Spillane said. "He must think she is a good chance."

Speedy Sky will have her eighth race start in the Betfair Handicap (1400m) at Sandown on Wednesday after three wins and three thirds in Tasmania.

At only her fourth start the daughter of Tough Speed won the Launceston Guineas (1600m) and then astonished her trainer by finishing third in both the Listed Strutt Stakes (2100m) and the Listed Tasmanian Oaks (2100m).

Spillane said she was surprised that Speedy Sky managed to get so far in her campaign and she had never considered her to be stakes class.

"She was only a scrawny, tiny little thing," Spillane said.

"You wouldn't have thought there was any way she would get any more than a few runs in a preparation but she loved racing.

"The Strutt and the Oaks were only afterthoughts.

"We didn't think for a minute she would be up to those races but she kept improving."

Spillane said Speedy Sky's form in those races against the mainland fillies indicated she was worthy of making the trip to Melbourne and hopefully getting a share of the Super VOBIS prizemoney she is qualified to win if good enough.

She was fitted for this run with a first-up close third to Pin Of Hope in an open age class four field at Launceston on May 31 but Spillane is more comfortable for her to compete against fillies even if it is in Melbourne.

"It makes it a bit easier against her own age and sex and we will give her a couple of runs while we can," Spillane said.

She said her long-term goal with Speedy Sky was the Tasmanian carnival at the end of the year and a tilt at a home town win in the Devonport Cup (1800m) in January.

These are brief outlines of the latest news that members have been getting:

• Araya to Extend Tamar Lead - Ken Hanson's 3yo filly shapes up at Hobart
• Asterisk Will Need to Improve - Will Asterisk be able to turn around a run of outs? 
• Wealthy Lad a Long Term Investment - Can Bill Ryan's star win first up at Launceston?
• Stradivaar to Debut for TRT - Spillane expectsa bold showing first up.
  

Wealthy Lad After Winning at Hobart

Wealthy Lad scored a strong win first up in Tasmania prior to making the successful trip interstate but Trainer Bill Ryan admits to it being his only real option.

"I told the connections that our Tasmanian race options were limited and that we may be better suited with a quick interstate trip", said Ryan

The rest is history.

Wealthy Lad was kept safe in the betting (7/1) and from an inside gate jockey Luke Nolen found the lead early and set a strong tempo in the 1300m event on the Sandown Hillside track.

Electing to take a sit after the first furlong Nolen stalked the leading pair into the straight before angling to their inside and unleashing a quick turn of foot to dash to a clear lead.

Nolen even had the luxury of putting the cue in the rack and easing Wealthy Lad to the line for what was an impressive Victorian debut for the gelding who had arrived only days earlier on the boat.

"I elected to travel Wealthy Lad over on the Spirit of Tasmania and was more than happy with the way the horse recovered from the trip"

"He travelled really well, settled in well and obviously raced very well", Ryan went on to say.

Keen to keep a watchful eye on his up and coming star Ryan shipped Wealthy Lad back to Tasmania following the win and will assess his options in the next few days.

"There is a few races coming up that would suit him, but it all hangs on how he recovers over the next few days"

"I have taken my time with this horse and I'm not going to start rushing things now", Ryan went on to say.

Ryan will keep Tamar team members posted on the horses work during the next week and where his next race will be.

"I hope the members got a thrill out of that at their local Tote, because I sure did", said Ryan.