04 March 2019 | Shane Yates
Carrick trainer Brian Mackrill enjoyed a successful night at Burnie on Sunday landing a winning double with two well-supported favourites to become the punter’s pin-up boy on the seven-event card.
Brian applied the polish to former maiden performer Class Tells in the opening race on the card in a heat of the Allen Williams Memorial Heat and then and followed up with Berty Mack scoring the third win of its career in the Kelly’s Waste Management Pace.
Class Tells ran the popular pick ($2.60) and favourite punters were on good terms with themselves as John Walters retained the lead on the four-year-old mare through the first turn.
“I was feeling good when she was able to hold them out early and when the second-elect Lille was posted in the death my confidence started to grow, she travelled well throughout and there is no better rater of a leader than John Walters so I knew she would have something in hand for when the late challenges came,” said Brian.
“Yodellin Cowgirl was the one to come at her late, Class Tells ran a really nice third to her when first-up at Carrick at her last run finishing third only 2.5-metres away at big odds of fifty to one, they fought out the finish again and this time we came out on top.”
Prior to the victory Classic Tells had raced 28 times for eight placings.
“Even though she had failed to salute the judge prior to Sunday she had run some solid races for us, Maree and I bred her from our former race mare Sheez Classical so it’s always nice to pick up a win with the one you’ve bred.”
Brian wasted no time being back in the winner’s circle with Berty Mack ($2.70) finishing powerfully to run down the leader Mighty Spark.
“It was only his second run back from a six month break, he ran a top second to a smart one in Peaceful Thomas at Carrick a fortnight ago and he ran right up to that form sprinting quickly in the straight, Gareth (Rattray) positioned him perfectly just in behind the leader and when the gap came turning for home ‘Berty’ (pictured) was travelling well enough to pounce,” said Brian.
“He’s always shown us he has his fair share of ability with his previous two wins coming at Devonport, he’s come back well from the break and we have worked on a few quirks he’s had so hopefully he can pick up another win or two this season.”
Berty Mack’s win was the middle pin of a winning treble for Gareth Rattray who had earlier steered the John Castles prepared pacer Keep Playing (3.40) to back-to-back victories before finishing off the night guiding Melissa Maine’s Another Swinger ($4.90) to success in the Claimer.
Bianca Heenan and Hannah van Dongen continued their march toward respective premiership success, combining with Miss Atomic Betty,($3.50) recent addition to Bianca’s stable.
Connor Crook’s recent acquisition Chilla Breeze ($3.90 fav) continues to pay dividends scoring his second win in his last four starts with a powerful 16-metre win while Rohan Hillier surged the Ben Yole-trained 20-metre backmarker Stylish Trend ($6.40)to the front after only 300-metres, before going on to score a sensational five-metre win.
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