04 April 2018 | Duncan Dornauf
At his fourteenth career start, exciting four-year-old Harjeet added the richest harness race staged in Tasmania in the past eight years with an effortless win in the $75,000 Maxfield Drilling Easter Cup at the Mowbray Racing Centre in Launceston on Saturday night.
The Todd Rattray trained and driven pacer has already been installed as the $1.30 favourite for next months Tasmanian four-year-old Sires Stakes Series, the Raider Stakes in Devonport.
The support program in Launceston on Saturday night also provided many highlights for the large crowd that descended to the Mowbray Racing Centre.
This week the Group 3 Sky Racing Tasmanian Derby is the feature race on Sunday night’s Hobart program while the Devonport Harness Racing Club will stage a 10-event program on Friday commencing at 17:15.
The Stars
Harjeet – broke the 2698-metre Launceston track record with his brilliant all the way win in the $75,000 Group 2 Easter Cup. It was the tenth career win for Harjeet at his fourteenth career start, ironically the same winning record to race track appearances as Beautide had at the same stage of his career.
Kate MacLeod – trained, owned, bred and drove Beam Me Up Chopper to victory when the gelding flew down the home straight to register his first win at his second career start.
Shelley Barnes – trainer of Mister Magic Man who brought his good Broken Hill form to the Apple Isle with a dominant win in the C1 only pace in 1:56.6, which was two seconds outside the track record.
No Spring Secrets – made it two wins in a row after flying down the home straight to win on Saturday courtesy of a confident drive from Dylan Ford.
Smart Little Shard – demonstrated his talent with an easy win in Launceston ahead of Sunday night’s Tasmanian Derby.
Rohan Hillier, Rodney and Paul Ashwood – all recorded doubles on Launceston’s premier night.
Multiple Winners
Launceston – Saturday
Rodney Ashwood – driving double; The Aussie and Williamtell
Rohan Hillier – driving double; Offthetopofmyhead and Giftofjoy
Paul Ashwood – training double; Offthetopofmyhead and Williamtell
Calculated Sectional Standouts
Quickest last halves (800m) from last week’s action in Launceston on Saturday
No Spring Secrets 56.21, Izaha 56.22, Riverboat Jasper 56.56, Lets Elope 56.82 and No Apachemee 56.90.
View the sectionals across the ten-race programme here.
Tasracing Official Price
Launceston
Hit’s: Mister Magic Man $11 into $9.50 and The Aussie $3.90 into $3.00.
Defied The Drift: Beam Me Up Chopper $15 out to $17, No Spring Secrets $3.80 out to $4.20 and Williamtell $5.50 out to $7.50.
Black Booker
No Apacheemee
Was a brilliant winner in Launceston four starts back in a slick mile rate in 1:57.0, and on Saturday night the Ben Yole trained gelding shown that he was nearing another win. The Tasracing Calculated Sectionals recorded this pacer running his last half mile in 56.9 seconds of which he was out three and four wide for after settling one-out and four-back and was able to get a trail into the race over the final half mile to only finish 7.1metres from the winner. Only the talented three-year-old Izaha came around this pacer in the concluding stages. No Apacheemee obviously has a liking for the short course trip with his only two wins coming over that distance.
Watch the replay here.
Week Ahead
The Sky Racing Tasmanian Derby at Group 3 level is the feature race in Tasmania this weekend.
New South Wales Derby heat winner Maraetai has opened up the $1.20 favourite ahead of fellow Victorian trained rival Smart Little Shard at $4.60. The Craig Hayes trained Semowillrev $11 sits on the third line of betting from the Todd Rattray trained and driven Izaha at $17.
The Devonport Harness Racing Club will stage a bumper 10-race program on Friday night. Inform trainer Paul Ashwood will be hoping his stables good form continues with his sole runner of the night, Krafty Boy in race nine. The Betterthancheddar colt has won in Launceston two starts ago and has won two other races and placed six times from his sixteen racetrack appearances.
*There is no Trial File this week as there were no trials held in the state.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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