Tasmanian star Conquering stole some the limelight from the Hobart Cup when he outgunned a quality line-up of sprinters in the Listed Thomas Lyons Stakes (1400m) on Sunday.

Conquering (8g Dangerous – Currently by Acidity) had won the feature sprint in 2009 and was runner-up to Royal Ida in 2010.  

Royal Ida appeared to have the race won again this year when he headed Conquering clearly in the straight.  Not to be denied, the Tassie hero fought back and regained the lead to score by almost a length in front of a cheering Cup day crowd.  Longshot Rocky Times (Ladoni) finished second with Royal Ida (Star Pyramul) fading to third.

Conquering has now won 23 races since scoring on debut at Elwick in November 2004.  Trainer Charlie Goggin said the gelding will be set for a third win in the Listed George Adams Plate at Launceston on February 23 before crossing Bass Strait for the G2 Blamey Stakes at Flemington on March 12.

“I thought he was gone but he fought back really strongly,” Goggin said.  “We bred the horse and broke him in so it’s been a real family affair.”

Conquering is a son of Greta West sire Dangerous and is the most successful of his 156 winners with over $904,000 in prizemoney.  He is the last of six winners for Currently who won 15 races at home and on the mainland.  She was also placed in the 1994 Thomas Lyons Stakes won by Midnight Cruise.

Currently was named 2009 Tasmanian Broodmare of the Year.  That same year, Conquering was named Tasmanian Horse of the Year and Goggin made it a clean-sweep by clinching his 12th Tasmanian trainers’ premiership.