Tasmanian Labor will ask to lose power

TASMANIA'S battered Labor government is moving to be sent into opposition rather than test its strength in minority, setting up a constitutional showdown.

Tasmanian Premier must quit: Hodgman

THE Liberal would-be premier of Tasmania, Will Hodgman, is pressing Labor incumbent David Bartlett to resign quickly with the state election outcome now clear.

THE KEY FACTS AND FORM FOR THE CUP

1 Cole Diesel (1989) is the only Toorak Handicap winner to have also won the Caulfield Cup in the past 30 years. This year's horse Allez Wonder (pictured) is out to do it this year, with jockey Michelle Payne looking to become the first female rider to win the Caulfield Cup.

Maldivian set to show he's the best of the bunch

TRAINER trainer Mark Kavanagh says the quality of horses at this season's Melbourne Spring Carnival could be the best ever.

Double Act Goes Distance Again With Tommifrancs

GERALD RYAN and Glyn Schofield continued their domination of the Sydney summer cups series yesterday when talented stayer Tommifrancs stormed to victory in the Frank Underwood Cup.

Windswept Hussler

THE MARGIN was just three-quarters of a length, but jockey Brad Rawiller said Weekend Hussler's effort yesterday to win the Underwood Stakes should not be underestimated.

Champs Spar Before Main Bout

Star pair have easy 'kills' before the Underwood, Stephen Howell writes.

Battling The Rising Waters

Getting his feet wet: Arthur Kerr gets away from his car as water rises around him in Underwood St, Corrimal.

Cup Win An El Of A Task

GWENDA Markwell believes El Meroo is "poorly" handicapped with favourite Party Crasher in today's Listed Frank Underwood Cup (1900m) at Rosehill, but gives her stayer a hope of causing an upset.

Waller And Bowman Teaming Up Again For Shot At Underwood Cup

THE Villiers Stakes-winning team of trainer Chris Waller and jockey Hugh Bowman are confident of adding to last week's success with victory in the Frank Underwood Cup at Rosehill on Saturday.

Petreni Will Tackle Cup

THE Kembla Grange stable of Bede Murray is confident Petreni can cause a surprise in the Listed Frank Underwood Cup (1900m) at Rosehill on Saturday.

Give The Galloper Its Head

Grand National 161 Underwood Street, Paddington, 9363 3096 Fri-Sun, noon-3pm; Tue-Sat, 6-10.30pm; Sun 6-9pm The pedigreed pub nosh performs well but could do with a little more insouciance.

Beadman Cost Miss Finland Win: Hayes

HONG Kong-bound jockey Darren Beadman cost Miss Finland a group 1 success in Saturday's Underwood Stakes at Caulfield, the champion mare's trainer David Hayes said yesterday.

Dazzler's The Master In School Of Hard Knocks

"SHOW no mercy" is plastered on my Craig Williams cap, bought at a charity auction. It typifies the way Darren Beadman treated him in the Underwood States at Caulfield on Saturday.

Marasco May Not Go The Distance

AS MATCH-RACES go it was a fizzer, but as a guide to the Cox Plate yesterday's group 1 Underwood Stakes could have been most telling as doubts linger as to whether Perth star Marasco can run out the 2040 metres at Moonee Valley in five weeks.

Nikolic Back With A Bang On Sonic Quest

JOCKEY Danny Nikolic yesterday celebrated his decision to cut short a riding stint in Hong Kong with a winning double, highlighted by Rubiscent's upset win in the group 1 Underwood Stakes.

Marasco Dazzles With Beadman

THE Darren Beadman touch in today's Underwood Stakes at Caulfield, even more than the difficulty mares have winning the group 1 feature, could give the West Australian Marasco an edge on Miss Finland, which has a strong horses-for-courses advantage.

Chopping And Changing In The Scrub

IT WAS in 1965 that Tom Underwood bought his sawmill in Gwabegar to cut the famously termite-resistant white cypress pine of the mighty Pilliga Scrub.

El Segundo Takes Slip-up In His Stride

COLIN Little is in a comfortable place at the moment. Just 18 days before the Cox Plate, the trainer of the overwhelming favourite could see only a positive side to what could have been an untimely mishap at Caulfield yesterday morning. Having his first serious gallop since his Underwood Stakes romp 17 days ago, El Segundo, working out wide on the course proper with race jockey Darren Gauci aboard, slipped for a stride on making the turn into the home straight. For Little, this was, in many ways, ...

Jury Still Out On Eremein's Dethroning

EREMEIN went down at Rosehill yesterday while El Segundo again displayed the hallmarks of an outstanding weight-for-age performer in Caulfield's Underwood Stakes.