20 April 2018 | Shane Yates
North West Coast harness racing fans will have the opportunity to see the best pacer racing in the state up close and personal tonight at the Devonport Raceway.
The brilliant Todd Rattray-trained Harjett, winner of this year’s Easter Cup, will be shooting for its seventh straight win in his Heat of the Maxfield Drilling Raider Stakes, the Tasmanian four-year-old Championship.
The Rocknroll Hanover-Our Zellweger dual Group 3 winner has won ten of its fourteen starts for owners the Rattray Family Trust and Wayne McLaughlin and will start a raging hot favourite for tonight’s Heat and Final.
The Tony Peterson-trained Usain Jolt is yet to recapture its two and three-year-old form but at his best would represent a danger if the popular pick was to find trouble and will have the services of leading reinsman Ricky Duggan.
Sea Double Ugrant, trained by Peter Dornauf is in line for a winning hat-trick after two slashing victories in Launceston with Mark Yole in the cart but find itself taking on the silk department tonight.
The Granny Smith Prelude for the four-year-old mares will be a keenly contested affair with Resurgent Dream, El Jays Mystery and Volkova Leis three of the leading chances.
Gareth Rattray will partner the Shelley Barnes prepared mare Volkova Leis and is confident of a forward showing.
“It’s an even field, she has won two of her last four starts, we have drawn the second line along with the top chances El Jays Mystery and Resurgent Dream, Sophias Angel is going well too with two wins in a row, so I will be looking to push up early and try to get a handy position,” said the champion reinsman.
Gareth also takes the reins on Stagger Lee, winner of last week’s 6TYo Free-For-All in Launceston. in race two the Degree C Quality.
“He bolted in last week and drawn anywhere else but inside the second line over 1930-metres I would have thought he was close to a certainty but now we are going to need a little luck in the final circuit.”
Gareth also faces a stiff task with the backmarker Chief Destroyer in the Sheffield Cup coming off the 30-metre Handicap.
“The Chief will be well suited by the 2645-metre journey, the further the better for him, he gives 100% everytime he steps out and that’s a big advantage when your driving horses like that,” said Gareth.
“Major Callum is similar in race five, we are out the back on the 20-metre mark, but he’s won seven from the stand for Brooke Hammond, he begins well so I will look to get away smartly and make an early move.”
The first of an exciting nine-event card at Devonport gets underway at 16.29 and can be viewed via the live stream service at tasracing.com.au
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