23 September 2024 | Duncan Dornauf for Tasracing
Driver Tarn Ford continued her unbeaten association with the Emma Stewart-trained pacer Waterfront in Hobart on Sunday night.
Waterfront, a three-year-old daughter of Downbytheseaside, was purchased from New Zealand earlier this year.
Since arriving in Australia, she has won all six starts, with the first of those wins being a dead heat in Launceston in June.
Tarn has been in the sulky for the filly’s last three wins, which included a state fillies and mares record performance of 1:54.8s three starts ago in Hobart.
From barrier two in a rating 58 to 63 event over 2090m, Tarn had no trouble taking the $1.05 fav straight to the lead, where they proved too good for their rivals over the last 400m to score by 11.3m from Iden Lady Lincoln ($26) and Magic Joe ($19) in a mile rate of 1:59.1s.
“She was good. We got away with a cheap first quarter and she was strong to the line bowling the last three quarters,” Tarn said post-race.
“We are three from three and are on a bit of a roll, and it’s nice to drive a horse like her,” said the driver, who has recently been given opportunities for the Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin stable.
“Clayton (Tonkin) rang me and said that it was a thank you for using my sulky when they have come down in recent times, and that is how they have repaid me, and I’m very thankful,” Tarn explained.
The win was a middle leg of a training treble for Emma Stewart, with Tarn’s cousin Mitch Ford in the sulky for the other two winners, How Sweet ($1.05 fav) and Freeasabyrd ($1.09 fav).
The quickest winning mile rate of the night came the way of the Matthew Howlett trained, Lachlan Dakin driven, Triedtotellya ($1.18 fav), who ran 1:56.7s to record back-to-back wins after returning to the track from injury, with connections eyeing off a potential tilt at the upcoming Dynamo series.
Nathan Ford took driving honours at the meeting with a treble, including the Wayne Yole-trained Bumpy J ($3.70), and We Salute You ($6.50) before winning aboard the Tammy Langley-trained Sneaky Peak ($9.00) later in the night.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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