There's a rising sense of optimism coming out of the Apple Isle ahead of the 2015 Yamaha Australian Four Day Enduro (A4DE) Trophy Team competition in Wynyard, Tasmania from October 19-24.
The 2015 Four Day will be Tasmania's debut in the respective Senior and Women's Trophy Team competitions, and the Junior team will be making their first appearance since 2010 when two junior teams were entered by the state.
Much of the hype surrounds the return of Aussie enduro star Matthew Phillips, who will ride for his home state in the Junior Trophy Team competition.
Tasmanian Team Manager Andrew Murfett said the acquisition of Phillips to the team would give the rest of the state's representatives another boost on top of riding the nation's biggest enduro event at home.
"The junior team have a lot of young guys that are coming up through the sport, with our experienced Matt Phillips that everyone knows about being one of the success stories coming out of Australia," Murfett said.
"Matt has competed at the club level with a few of our events here in Tassie; everyone looks up to him whether it‰Ûªs a junior rider or a senior veteran rider racing against him, he is just an awesome ambassador for Tasmania and also Australia.
"The other three young lads (in the junior team) have only been racing in our local scene, although Lincoln Bird has done a couple of Finke-type desert races, but overall it is a fairly new line up."
Murfett said he had high hopes for Tasmania's first senior team, which contains within it a number of talented riders determined to make an impression on home soil.
"Bailey Davis was invited to a couple of the world rounds with Matt Phillips, with Matt being one of his good friends, and Bailey was pretty fortunate to go have a couple of rides so that‰Ûªs given him a nice little background," Murfett said.
"Nathan Purton has done a couple of Four Days and quite a few of the Australian series over the last few years. Connor Bird has done a couple of Finke Desert Races and so has Troy Sheridan, but not on a two-wheeler but rather as a very, very successful quad rider, so he has changed and come onto two wheels.
"Finally the other two guys in Joel McCrostie and Tom Jones are rookies that haven‰Ûªt done any national championship events at all."
The Tasmanian Women's Team is also set to make their first mark on the Four Day with a talented trio set to ride for them in the event.
"Sophie Coldicutt has competed in pretty much all of the Australian Off-Road Championship rounds this year so she will take plenty from the experience in riding in that," Murfett said.
"Melissa Templar and Emily Flint are both very successful lady competitors. Once again, neither of them have done anything interstate, but together the three of them are really nice girls and a bit of an envy for the boys as they often come in front of them - which is always a stirring point."
