It is a Tasmania versus Queensland battle for the Australian Trainers’ Premiership.
Leading Tasmanian trainer Ben Yole has prepared 221 winners this season and will be out to continue his lead in Burnie on Friday night, while Queensland’s Grant Dixon is hot on his heels with 218 wins for the term that runs until 31 December.
Yole has four Tasmanian meetings remaining for the season, while Dixon’s home state have 11 meetings remaining.
If Yole can hold his lead, he will become the first Tasmanian trainer to win the title.
The Yole stable is well represented on Friday’s Burnie card, where he prepares three favourites on the seven-race card.
Stylish Trend will be chasing his 20th career win in the opening race, the Statewide Linemarking (TAS) Pty Ltd Handicap.
The Bettors Delight gelding has notched up 10 of his career wins in standing start races, the most recent on the Burnie track three starts ago when leading all the way to score an easy seven-metre victory.
Mark Yole was in the sulky for that win and will be in the sulky again on Friday night.
Keep Playing is the early favourite in the second race, the Frank Crawford Memorial, a standing start affair over 2180 metres.
A winner of 11 races, the gelded son of Shadow Play has recorded two wins and two placings in eight tries on the Burnie track, and with brilliant standing start manners, he looks very hard to beat off the front mark.
Punters also believe Yole will round out the night in winning style, with Machavelli being the early favourite in a race where the trainer is well represented.
Machavelli will be having her first look at the Burnie track, and from a good draw and her good gate speed punters believe she is the one to beat in the rating 30 to 44 mobile start event.
The Burnie card will be shown on Sky Racing 2 and TasracingTV from 18:23.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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