12 April 2018 | Duncan Dornauf
Victorian trainer Emma Stewart continued her dominance on the stated feature races this season when Maraetai was an easy winner of the Group 3 Sky Racing Tasmanian Derby at the Elwick Racing Complex in Hobart on Sunday evening, one of many highlights on the Tasmanian harness racing scene in the past seven days.
With the upcoming sires’ stakes race series just around the corner, we are seeing many of the states best-bred pacers warming up for there respective $50,000 Group 2 Finals that will be staged in coming months.
This week there will be two meetings held across the state with the Tasmanian Pacing Club staging seven races on Friday night before the action heads North up the Midlands Highway where the Launceston Pacing Club conducts an eight-race card.
The Stars
Maraetai – brilliant winner of the Tasmanian Derby to win untroubled by 33.9-metres in a mile rate of 1:58.8 which was only 1.2 seconds outside of the track record held by Blacks A Fake and Flashing Red during the 2006 Inter Dominion series.
Ricky Duggan – proved once again why he is in the hall of fame with a driving treble on Sunday night.
Paul Hill – the “King of the Kids” produced another smart youngster in Enterprising Milly to win on debut.
Rohan Hadley – moved into fifth position onto the states driver’s premiership table after his treble in Devonport on Friday night.
Multiple Winners
Devonport- Friday
Rohan Hadley– driving treble; Sophias Angel, Midair Meltdown and Jeans Mattjesty.
John Walters – driving double; Mi Ju Dan and Berty Mack.
Todd Rattray – driving double; Campaign Drive and Bettor Pay Me.
Ben Yole – training double; Midair Meltdown and Jeans Mattjesty
Hobart – Sunday
Ricky Duggan – driving treble; Enterprising Milly, Resurgent Dream, Vouvray Beach.
Calculated Sectional Standouts
Quickest last halves (800m) from last week’s action in Devonport on Friday.
Ektoras 58.35, Regal Idea 58.50, Lord Stark 58.53, Dayraid 59.02 and Blisstar 59.03.
View the sectionals across the ten-races here.
And from Tasmanian Derby night in Hobart on Sunday.
Maraetai 56.80, Followthewind 57.15, Rockin An Runnin 57.28, Enterprising Milly 57.58 and Blackjackhanover 57.65.
Click here to view to view sectionals from every starter at the meeting.
Tasracing Official Price
Devonport
Defied The Drift: Sophias Angel $3.40 out to $4.20, Regal Idea $5.00 out to $6.00 and Bettor Pay Me $3.20 out to $4.40.
Missed: Albayzin $1.90 into $1.75 and Sheer Strength $7.50 into $5.00.
Hobart
Defied The Drift: Origin Cronk $2.15 out to $2.70 and Resurgent Dream $3.70 out to $4.20.
Missed: Manganello $2.60 into $2.25.
Black Booker
Still Hungover
Put up a terrific display on debut in the two-year-old in Hobart on Sunday. The Rodney Ashwood trained pacer showed terrific gate speed to lead in a 28.7 seconds opening quarter before driver Alex Ashwood backed off the tempo. The short price favourite Enterprising Milly worked around the field before the half mile and sat outside Still Hungover. The Tasracing Calculated Sectionals recorded Still Hungover’s last two quarters in 28.49 and 29.40 and didn’t go down without a fight to be defeated only 1.3-metres with 10-metres back to Juniper who was a winner at her start prior.
Watch the replay here.
Trial File
Carrick Park – Saturday
The Craig Hayes trained and driven Scooterwillrev continued his preparation when he recorded the quickest winning mile rate of the morning of 2:03.4 for the 2150 metre trip. Racing outside the leader Scooterwillrev recorded at 12-metre victory over the leader Dodgermemate.
Other winners on Saturday morning included smart two-year-old Sunny Sanz 2:11.1, Harshali 2:09.2, Ideal Karalta 2:03.6, North Star Lad 2:06.7, Sea Sky 2:16.7 and Smilin Geoff 2:07.2.
Hobart – Monday
Former Hobart Pacing Cup winner Remember Joe recorded the quickest mile rate of the night of 2:04.1 in the opening trial which was understanding start conditions.
The Juanita McKenzie trained gelding defeated his stablemate Isaac by a neck in the three-horse field. All runners in the trial started off the front mark and not the 40-metre handicap as listed in the official results which subsequently effects the official mile rate listed on the trial.
Other winners on the night included; Resurgent Storm (2:04.2), Feelin Dusty (2:07.3), Falcon Harry (2:05.8) and Witch Master (2:06.2).
Week Ahead
Harness racing in Tasmania this weekend kicks off with a seven-event fixture in Hobart on Friday evening. In the third event of the night the Paul Hill trained, Feelin Dusty will be chasing his seventh career win when he lines up in race three. The winner of over $50,000 in prize money has not missed a place in nine starts on the Hobart track where he has recorded five wins and four placings.
The tier one meeting of the week will be at Launceston Sunday, where the Kate MacLeod trained and driven pacer Beam Me Up Chopper will be looking for back-to-back wins after producing a terrific performance to win at his most recent start on Easter Cup night.
Warhorse Destreos will have another chance to register his 100th career win when he lines up in the third race of the night.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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