DARREN Weir has had something of a mortgage on the $400,000 Hobart Cup in recent years and after the strong all-the-way win of Bangerang Quikpic in the Tauto Handicap yesterday, he looks a good chance of taking out the race again this year, reports the Sunday Age.It says: Weir has won three out of the last four 2200-metre cups with True Courser (2006), Offenbach (2008), and Gotta Keep Cool last year, as well as finishing third with True Courser in 2007.The cup, on February 8, has been Bangerang

DARREN Weir has had something of a mortgage on the $400,000 Hobart Cup in recent years and after the strong all-the-way win of Bangerang Quikpic in the Tauto Handicap yesterday, he looks a good chance of taking out the race again this year, reports the Sunday Age.

It says: Weir has won three out of the last four 2200-metre cups with True Courser (2006), Offenbach (2008), and Gotta Keep Cool last year, as well as finishing third with True Courser in 2007.

The cup, on February 8, has been Bangerang Quickpic's goal from the start of this preparation and Weir said he had been working hard to get the gelding to settle in his races and was pleased with how the five-year-old raced yesterday.

''It was great to see him get to the front and then switch off. The query was if Bonindi would take him on, but once he didn't, I was pretty confident,'' Weir said.

Apprentice Jarrod Fry rated Bangerang Quikpic ($3.20 favourite) perfectly and the horse kicked strongly at the top of the straight, before holding off Anavalanche ($4.80) by a length with Bonindi ($8) tiring into third.

Bangerang Quikpic will have another start over 2000 metres at Flemington in two weeks before heading to Hobart. Joining him on the trip will be Weir's Tasmanian Derby hopeful Manden.

Despite his outstanding record in Tasmania, Weir said he doesn't specifically target the state's big races. It is more that the horses have not been quite up to contesting the better group races in Melbourne.

There is likely to be a large contingent of Victorian's heading south for the big staying races and several others winners yesterday are also likely to join Bangerang Quikpic.

Tony Vasil's stayer Apprehend overcame a tough run to win the Comedy King Handicap (2520 metres) and the trainer says the $300,000 Launceston Cup (2400 metres) on February 24 looks the obvious target for him.