10 March 2020 | Duncan Dornauf for Tasracing
Brighton trainer Bianca Heenan and driver Christian Salter continued their dominance of Tasmanian trotting feature races when Suave Taj took out the $10,000 Aldebaran Park Hobart Trotting Cup on Sunday night.
The eight-year-old gelded son of Majestic Son stepped away cleanly from his pole draw in the 2579 metre standing start event and punters that backed the pacer in from $6.00 into $4.80 didn’t have much to worry about during the race.
“That was the plan as he is a strong horse to keep him bowling along like that, he got a bit tired towards the end,” said winning driver Christian Salter after the race.
“He has good manners but full credit to Bianca (Heenan) she has done a super job with her trotters,” added the winning reinsman.
The win was the seventh career win at start 31 for Suave Taj who was previously trained by Danny and Leroy O’Brien before arriving in Heenan’s care who was delighted after the race.
“He has had a few issues with his feet which have seen him only have three starts in three years,” said Heenan.
“I have a very sandy track at home, and he is loving that and loving life,” added the Brighton based horsewoman.
Heenan and Salter won last year’s Hobart and Tasmanian Trotting Cup’s with Trumps Golden Boy with Salter happy to compare the two.
“This horse is a lot stronger compared to Trumps Golden Boy from last year,” said Salter.
As for the key to driving feature trotting race winners, Salter was keen to put it down to one thing.
“I’m driving for a good trainer.”
Heenan will have runners in two of the feature races on Tasmania’s premier race night on Saturday.
Soho Senna will contest the Tasmanian Derby after his narrow defeat in the Tasmanian Guineas last start behind Colby Sanz.
Star Chamber will represent her stable in the Group 2 Ladbrokes Tasmania Cup Final. The gelding won the race in 2014.
Fields for Saturday nights bumper program in Hobart, that features the Ladbrokes Tasmania Cup, Tasmania Derby, Tasmanian Oaks and the George Johnson will be released on Tuesday afternoon.
Star three-year-old sidelined
In disappointing Tasmanian harness racing news star three-year-old filly Blame It On Me has been ruled out of Saturday’s Tasmanian Oaks and for the remainder of the season.
Part-owner Angela Nettlefold delivered the devastating news on social media that the filly had sustained a fracture and would require surgery on Wednesday to have the leg pinned.
Leading driver suspended
Driver Mark Yole will be right to drive on Saturday nights program after copping a two-race date suspension on Sunday.
Yole was able to defer his penalty to commence after Saturday’s meeting meaning he will miss the meetings in Devonport on 15 March and the meeting in Burnie on 20 March.
The leading reinsman who didn’t get home from Sunday night’s Hobart harness meeting until 1.00 am on Monday, then flew across to Melbourne at 6:15 am before driving over 3 hours to Horsham to participate in the Noel Smith Memorial Invitation Drivers Championship.
Yole didn’t have a lot of luck finishing down the points table in the four-race series which was won by Victoria’s Kate Gath.
Castles conquers Canberra
Tasmanian junior driver Charlie Castles was in the winner’s circle last night in Canberra when he drove Joogle to an all the way win.
Castles took up a position with trainer James Rattray in late January to further his development within the industry.
It was the first win since the move for Castles on the Tasbred four-year-old mare who is trained by his employer.
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