04 January 2024 | Duncan Dornauf for Tasracing
The Tasmanian harness racing season for 2023 ended with meetings at King Island and Carrick Park on Sunday.
The King Island meeting saw Tammy Langley and Tiarna Ford combine to win the King Island Pacing Cup with Lou Lous Allgold, who overcame a 20m handicap to win the Island’s premier pacing race.
Carrick Park saw a strong crowd in attendance where trainer-driver Rohan Hillier recorded a double, including Monsieur Meilland in the Tasmanian Country Championship.
On Monday the 2024 season started at St Marys in front of another strong crowd.
Unfortunately, the final two races were abandoned after a fall in the St Marys Pacing Cup, which saw all horses and drivers involved escape serious injury.
This week, the North Eastern Pacing Club stages their annual race meeting at Scottsdale featuring the North Eastern Pacing Cup before racing returns to Hobart on Sunday for a nine-race program.
The Stars
Rohan Hillier – won the two highest prize money races at Carrick Park on Sunday. Former Victorian Monsieur Meilland easily handled his rivals in the Tasmanian Country Championship when recording an 11.8m win. Hillier also trained and drove Jimmy The Irishman to win the Free For All, who won in track record time of 1:56.3s for the 1670m trip. Admittedly, the Carrick track hasn’t traditionally catered for this class of horse over this distance in recent times.
Claire MacDonald – recorded her first training double when book-ending the Carrick Park meeting. Indi Air Tonight broke her maiden in the last two-year-old race of the season before Enstein defied a betting drift to win the final race. Ricky Duggan drove both horses.
Lou Lous Allgold – continued her liking of the King Island track, remaining undefeated after four meetings for the K.I. season. The mare won the King Island Pacing Cup on Sunday for driver Tiarna Ford, with the mare being trained by the satellite stable of Tammy Langley.
Our Shakalaka – won the first race of the season at St Marys, winning the 6ty Country Guineas, the first leg of a driving double for Gareth Rattray.
Wayne Yole – has recently returned to training and tasted success at St Marys with the win of Fleetwood Rock, which gave him his first winner since April 2021.
Feats of the meet
Carrick Park, 31 December
Rohan Hillier – training and driving double,
Ricky Duggan – driving double,
Claire MacDonald – first training double,
Ben Yole – training double.
King Island, 31 December
Tiarna Ford – driving double.
St Marys, 1 January
Ben Yole – training double wins,
Gareth Rattray – driving double,
Robert Walters – driving double
Calculated Sectional Standouts
Carrick Park, 31 December
Rackemup Tigerpie 56.37s, Jimmy The Irishman 57.10, Villacci 57.34s. Outside of race four, Cedric Seymour 57.67s and James Cagney 57.69s.
St Marys, 1 January
Unavailable.
Tasracing Official Price
Carrick Park, 31 December
Hit’s: Cedric Seymour $4.00 into $2.60, Jimmy The Irishman $5.00 into $2.90, James Cagney $5.50 into $4.00, Artyboy Glenwood $11 into $8.50 and Monsieur Meilland $2.50 into $1.90.
Defied The Drift: Indi Air Tonight $1.60 out to $1.80, Laid Back Kenny $6.00 out to $12, Equity Stride $21 out to $26 and Ensteine $4.80 out to $7.50.
Missed: Magic Pebbles $3.10 into $1.85, Grinning Again $1.70 into $1.50, Jo An Jo $31 into $12, Sweet Amour $10 into $5.50, Mister Eagle $10 into $8.50, More Than This $8.50 into $5.50, Moneys No Issue $5.50 into $2.90 and Isolation $31 into $8.00.
St Marys, 1 January
The Tasracing Official Price is unavailable for this meeting due to its non-TAB status.
Week Ahead
Friday: Scottsdale hosts their annual meeting, with the North Eastern Pacing Cup being the feature race. The six-race program commences at 17.42.
Saturday: Interstate runners at interstate metropolitan venues include:
Bendigo
R2 #12 Hy Leinvincible,
R3 #7 Believe In Forever and #9 Sammys Ideal,
R7 Bendigo Cup: #2 Kosimo and #9 Max Delight,
R8 #4 Iylac Pakaria.
Menangle
R1 #4 Boom,
R2 #7 Boom,
R5 #11 Magician.,
Sunday: Nine races will be held in Hobart from 17:22, featuring the Art Meeker Memorial Matron Stakes, the 2024 Brighton Cup, and the E. C. Plunkett Memorial, all worth $14,000.
Drivers in race six, the Vale Ken Austin Pace, will wear black armbands as a mark of respect for his recent passing. A funeral service will be held on Monday, 8 January, at 14:30 at the Elwick Racecourse.
Monday: Trials at Carrick Park from 17:30.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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