by Shane Yates
Punters feasted on a banquet of favourites at the Tasmanian Pacing Club’s meeting at Luxbet Park on Sunday night. Six of the 10 races on the card went the way of the popular pick with the longest priced winner of the night starting at odds of $4.60, while only Resurgent Dream started an odds-on favourite.
Trainer Ben Yole wasted no time in notching up his 119th winner for the season and claiming the training record held by Neville Webberley since 1990/91 when the heavily supported Sheer Strength (pictured) scored a sensational all-the-way victory in race three.
Rohan Hillier encouraged the five-year-old to the lead from the centre of the front line and rated it to perfection, before opening up in the turn off the backstretch and scorching away to win by 19.1 metres.
Washie’s Chance racked up his eleventh victory of the season from 37 starts, remarkably 11 wins from 21 when teamed with Natalee Emery and 0 from 16 with other drivers in the sulky.
Out To Strike scored a convincing win with Ultimate Courage rounding off another successful night for the Sidmouth stable.
Todd Rattray partnered Ultimate Courage and also steered home his smart four-year-old God Sake to victory,to increase his lead in the Drivers Premiership to three.
God Sake sat two lengths off the leaders at the half mile and made his run at the 400, coming home the final quarter in 29.21 seconds to bank its fifth win from the last six starts.
The Justin Campbell-trained Boltnmach made it back-to-back wins in Hobart by sustaining a searching three-wide run to gain the day by a head over Smilin Geoff while impressive three-year-old filly Resurgent Dream also won her second race in a row for owner-trainer, Roger Whitmore.
Ideal Karalta and Swap Me both scored comfortable front-running victories while Jilliby Gigi was forced to dig deep to hold out the fast-finishing Olwen Jackka.
Watch the Marc Butler trained Jilliby Gigi stave-off Olwen Jaccka at Luxbet Park in Hobart here.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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