01 February 2021 | Duncan Dornauf for Tasracing
Trainer Craig Hayes has won many of the states feature races, but one that meant a lot to him was Mister Gently’s win in Sunday’s 7BU Burnie Cup at the Wivenhoe Showgrounds.
Backed in from $3.50 into the $2.30 favourite on the Tasracing Official Price, Mister Gently pinged away to find the lead in the 2789-metre event.
There was some pressure in parts of the marathon trip, but went on to score by 3.5 metres over Karalta Dazzler with Bettabrown Tiger a further 1.6 metres away third.
The race was one that Hayes has had in mind for many months, and his plan came off.
“I was keeping him for this race as I know he is a good little standing start horse and it looked an ideal race for him, plus I have always wanted to win my hometown cup, and it has all panned out well,” said Hayes.
“We always intended to give him a run in the (Group 2) Raider Stakes and then come here, and he is one of those horses that seems to find a little niggle somewhere, so the break in between is probably just what he needed,” added the winning trainer.
Mister Gently initially drew outside of the front row in barrier five but with two scratchings off the front-row, only three horses started off the front mark.
“It was always good to see a couple inside you scratched as it gives you a lot more room to manoeuvre as if they were all there it would have been very tight drawn the outside,” said Hayes.
Hayes indicated that another country cup mission is on the cards.
“All being well we will head to the Carrick Cup, he will be off 10-metres there as long as he pulls up well that’s where we will go,” said Hayes about the race that will be staged on 13 February.
The win was the second for driver Gareth Rattray who won the race in 2003 with Karalta Gem.
It was a big day for Rattray who drove four of the six winners including the Ben Yole trained pacers; Shes Worth It, Liberal Arden and Lake Eyre.
Yole did end the day with four winners, preparing the last race winner Jo Dina who was driven by Troy McDonald while Rohan Hillier and Conor Crook continued their good association with Gone And Forgotten who scored a 26-metre win in a rating 60 or better standing start race.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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