09 February 2018 | Duncan Dornauf
The $12,000 New Norfolk Pacing Cup was the feature race of the Tasmanian Pacing Club fixture on Sunday, and at the completion of the 2579-metre event only a short-half-head could separate the Adrian Duggan trained and driven pacer Poker Storm and the second-place getter Full Speed Ahead.
Queens Advocate (pictured) recorded her second win of the season when she took out the Toreace Flying Mile. The Matthew Dwyer trained pacer stopped the clock at 1:56.9. The Mcardle mare has performed well over the sprint course in the past with six other wins at races run over 1930-metres or less including a 1:55.0-mile rate when winning the 2016 Launceston Mile.
Meanwhile north-west coast trainers dominated the Devonport programme on Friday with Shelley Barnes training a double, Rodney Burgess and Adam Emery also preparing winners on the nine-race programme.
This week we head to Burnie on Friday evening before we swing to Launceston on Sunday with the $12,000 Harry Holgate Memorial and the $12,000 Launceston Discretionary being the feature races on the programme.
The future of Tasmanian harness racing looks to be in strong hands in years to come after a number of local owners and participants investing in the industry with a number of purchases at Sunday’s Australian Pacing Gold sale in Melbourne.
The Stars
Adrian Duggan – took home his second New Norfolk Pacing Cup with a last stride win with Poker Storm. The self-claimed “old Norfolk boy” won the 2016 New Norfolk Cup aboard Neonjet.
Rodger Whitmore and Ricky Duggan – two New Norfolk locals teamed up with Resurgent Dream to win over the 1140-metre dash on New Norfolk Cup night. Whitmore and Duggan are both apart of a sub-committee looking at the return of racing to the Kensington Park circuit in New Norfolk.
Shelley Barnes – book-ended the Devonport programme on Friday evening with a training double. She prepared Volkova Leis who won her first race in the opening heat of the Allen Williams Memorial, before waiting patiently to take out the last race with Moto Kenny who was well rated in front by concession driver Charlie Castles.
Sunny Sanz – talented two-year-old who remains undefeated after two starts after defeating three-year-old and older pacers in Hobart on Sunday.
Multiple Winners
Devonport – Friday
Shelley Barnes – training double; Volkova Leis and Moto Kenny.
Todd Rattray – driving double; Metro Mouse and Ten Crystals.
Hobart – Sunday
No individual recorded multiple winners on the seven-event card.
Calculated Sectional Standouts
Quickest last halves (800m) from last week’s action in Devonport on Friday.
Washmepockets 57.48, Jeans Mattjesty 57.60, I’m Born To Rule 57.66. Outside of race nine; Tried And True 59.00, Dayraid 59.17 and Guys Delight 59.30.
View all sectional data from the meeting here.
And from Hobart on Sunday.
Black Centurian 57.47, Poker Storm 57.70, Long Ago 57.88. Outside of race five; Mister Lennox 58.35 and Ruby Mays Shadow 58.99.
*Race two has been excluded from the top five sectionals for the meeting.
View all sectional data from the meeting here.
Tasracing Official Price
Devonport
Hit: Tried And True $15 into $13
Defied The Drift: Metro Mouse $9.50 out to $11
Hobart
Hit: The Aussie $2.50 into $2.20.
Defied The Drift: Resurgent Dream $3.10 out to $4.20, Poker Storm $41 out to $61.
Trial File
Hobart on Sunday
They certainly weren’t out to break any records in the qualifying trial that was held prior to the commencement of Sunday’s race meeting. The trial was won by Origin Billy who went straight to the lead to win under a firm hold in a time of 2:13.4 in the 1609-metre trial, another pacer who went to the line under a nice hold was the second placegetter Origin Cronk.
Watch the trial here.
Burnie on Monday
Talented three-year-old Semowillrev returned to the track after a short let up since his last start third on December 3. The Sportswriter gelding won his trial by three metres over Blues Ace in a mile rate of 2:05.1.
The other trial on the program was won by Avalon Ava (2:05.3).
Carrick Park on Monday
El Jays Monza continued his liking for C grade driver Georgia Hayward when they teamed up to win the second trial in three weeks. The Major In Art gelding did run third in the middle of those trials behind Ignatius in a race in Launceston. El Jays Monza scored by five metres over Peaceful Thomas in a mile rate of 2:05.3.
The remaining trials were won by Juniper (2:09.3) and Parwill (2:11.4).
Week Ahead
Harness racing heads back to the seaside city of Burnie on Friday with a seven-event programme. The meeting will go ahead after the Office of Racing Integrity stewards inspected the track during the week following some remedial track works.
The Craig Hayes trained and driven pacer, Jeanette Barry will be looking for back-to-back wins on the Burnie circuit when she lines up in the opening race. The Sportswriter filly was an easy winner in the Burnie Harness Racing Club’s premier three-year-old race the $8,100 Thorate Incentive on January 14 where she won by 14-metres.
The Harry Holgate Memorial is one of two feature races on the Launceston Pacing Club programme at the Mowbray Racing Centre on Sunday evening. Heat winners El Jays Mystery and Super Max have drawn well in barriers one and two respectively while the other heat winner Sea Double Ugrant has drawn barrier three on the second row.
Sea Double Ugrant recorded the quickest last half across the three heats that were staged in Launceston on January 28 of 55.63 seconds. Streetside Classic who finished second in the race ran his last 800-metres in 56.47 seconds with Punchinello the only other runner to break 58.0 seconds across the three heats.
The other feature race on the Launceston card is the Launceston Discretionary which has brought together a quality field to contest the $12,000 event.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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