08 April 2021 | Duncan Dornauf for Tasracing
The Autumn Harness Racing Carnival came to a close in Launceston on Saturday night with the Group 2 Ladbrokes Easter Cup, which saw Scooterwillrev lead home a locally trained trifecta.
There has been plenty of harness racing in Launceston over the past three weeks, and it continues again this week with racing on Sunday night anda. program also being held in Devonport on Friday night.
The Stars
Scooterwillrev – was brilliant in the 2021 Easter Cup after stepping straight to the lead in the 2698-metre event. He was well rated in front by Gareth Rattray, who claimed his first Easter Cup. It was also the first win in the race for trainer Craig Hayes who did an outstanding job to get the pacer to peak second-up in the Group 2 race.
Lightning Jash – Victorian trainer Kate Hargraves has a handy strike rate when she brings horses to the Apple Isle, and this Autumn Carnival mission was no different when she claimed the first feature two-year-old race in the state for the year, the Keith Stanley Debutante Stakes with Lightning Jash. Driver Alex Ashwood said the pacer would have a spell before tackling some features later in the season.
Wave The Hat – claimed the time-honoured Allen Williams Memorial Final for the maiden pacers. The pacer enjoyed a solid early tempo before proving too good in a race that was a survival of the fittest late.
Be Major Threat – showed brilliant standing start manners to settle in a forward position to take out the Kevin Gillies Memorial, ending up behind the leader, reinsman Ben Woodford drove a patient race working into clear racing room at the top of the home straight to go on a score a narrow win.
Moonlite Bay – was undoubtedly one of the more impressive winners of the Launceston card when 1.1s outside Scooterwillrev’s 2200-metre track record. After working forward in a handy lead time, the pacer was then forced to hold the lead with the first three-quarters of the final mile all recorded under 30.0s and was still able to prove too strong late.
Multiple Winners
Hobart – Friday afternoon
Ben Yole – training quartet; Yellow Taxi, Southern Gnp, Lives A Jungle and War Chest.
Conor Crook – driving double; Beau Garcon and Southern Gnp.
Launceston – Saturday evening
Alex Ashwood – driving double; Lightning Jasha and Moonlite Bay.
Tasracing Calculated Sectionals
Hobart – Friday afternoon
My Ultimate Romeo 56.84s, Ol Titch 57.19s, Live For Peace 57.22, Ifbutzandmaybes 57.30s and Black Ops 57.32s.
Launceston – Saturday evening
Easter Cup: Izaha 55.68s, Yorkshire 55.71s, Ryley Major 55.75s, Our Princess Tiffany 55.90s and Our Princess Tiffany 55.90s.
Remaining races: Be Major Threat 55.99s, Gone And Forgotten 56.02s, Sea Double Ugrant 56.06s, Still Hungover 56.14s and The Red Moon Rising 56.38s.
View all available Tasmanian Sectional Data by clicking here.
Tasracing Official Price
Hobart – Friday afternoon
Hit’s: Ifbutzandmaybes $6.00 into $5.50, Southern Gnp $41 into $12 and War Chest $6.00 into $3.90.
Defied The Drift: Beau Garcon $2.05 out to $2.30, Yellow Taxi $17 out to $21, Life A Jungle $10 out to $14 and Top Hanover $3.40 out to $4.60.
Missed: Magic Owens $3.40 into $2.50, My Ultimate Major $3.30 into $2.40, Keep Playing $9.00 into $6.00, Mach Charm $9.00 into $5.50, Eye See Double $3.70 into $2.90, Heza Rummage $8.00 into $5.50, Black Ops $3.70 into $2.90 and Guys Bettor Bet $4.40 into $3.20.
Launceston – Saturday evening
Hit’s: Lightning Jash $1.26 into $1.20, Wave The Hat $10 into $9.50 and Jaffa Josh $1.40 into $1.14.
Defied The Drift: Debt Till We Part $14 out to $16, Barooga Rock $2.40 out to $3.00, Micton Aroha $5.50 out to $6.50, Scooterwillrev $9.00 out to $17, Be Major Threat $10 out to $18, Moonlite Bay $5.00 out to $7.00 and Racketeers Boy $1.90 out to $2.25.
Missed: Always A Stride $5.50 into $4.00, Origin Tara $11 into $8.00, Kennys Killer $3.30 into $2.90, Tommys Denial $2.90 into $2.50, Willie Go West $2.50 onto $2.00, The Red Moon Rising $2.25 into $1.70, Deadly Assassin $5.00 into $4.40, Stormont Star $7.50 into $6.00 and Some Dan $26 into $15.
Trial File
Devonport – Monday evening
Four trials were held on Monday where Liam Older had his first night of driving at the trials and he walked away with a winner when the Ben Yole-trained Aha Reaction recorded the quickest mile rate of the night in 2m 1.9s for the 1930-metre trip.
Racing outside the leader, the gelded son of Auckland Reactor proved too tough over the concluding stages for the leader, Maybe Jack, with a half-head separating the duo.
Other winners included: Booker Bay (2m 9.3s), Family Feelgood (2m 9.0s) and Christian Jaz (2m 4.1s)
Week Ahead
Friday: Devonport host Friday night racing where the $12,000 Patrons Marathon is the feature race for horses with a national rating of 70 or better over the 2645-metre trip.
Saturday: Carrick Park trials revert to the Saturday morning time slot, with the first trial scheduled for 9:00.
There is plenty of Tasmanian interest at Menangle, with Ignatius contesting a Group 3 event, plus his stablemates Zhukov Leis and Jigamaroo going around.
Jigamaroo will be driven by Charlie Castles, who will be having his first metropolitan drive outside of Tasmania.
Sunday: Launceston race once again with a Tier One meeting in the twilight zone.
Monday: Trials will be held in Hobart from 17:30.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
