05 January 2024 | Duncan Dornauf for Tasracing
Reinsman Rohan Hadley will be chasing another hometown Cup when he drives Last Of The Mohicans in The McLaughlin Family North Eastern Pacing Cup (2692m) at the Scottsdale Recreation Ground on Friday evening.
Hadley has driven the Cup winner on four occasions, with his wins being aboard Romantic Man (1993), Flora Grant (1996), Paleface Jane (1999), and Montana Storm (2023).
The Hall of Fame driver has come out of semi-retirement from the sulky to partner with the Troy Hillier-trained Last Of The Mohicans.
Last Of The Mohicans is yet to win since arriving in the state, but four of his six career wins in New Zealand were in standing start races.
Troy Hillier also part-owns one of the main chances in the race, Miss Papenhuyzen, who is trained and driven by his brother Rohan.
The five-year-old mare will start off a 10m handicap and goes into the race second-up from a spell after finishing third to All By Myself on 17 December.
She did gallop out at her only standing start try, but can easily be forgiven as it was on a grass track race in Hobart early last year.
With the scratching of 2022 Cup winner Rockandahardplace, Colby Sanz will be the only locally trained horse in this year’s race.
The Kent Rattray-trained gelding was sent back to the trials after being retired from the race at his most recent start, where he over-raced severely in the middle stages.
He won his trial at Carrick Park on 28 December, where he led from the 1800m to score by 2.4m in a mile rate of 2:04.3s.
Colby Sanz was defeated 6.1m in last year’s Cup when third, and was second in 2022, defeated a half-head behind Rockandahardplace when the race was held in Launceston.
Friday’s six-race program will be televised on Sky Racing 2 and TasracingTV from 17:42, with the gates opening at 14:30.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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