UNPRECEDENTED interest has seen this Sunday’s J.C. Caffyn Indigenous Drivers Plate draw the best field in the six years this race has featured on the annual Fishers Ghost program at Menangle.
Three accomplished Indigenous drivers, Bevan Pringle, Jack Wade and Danny Scanlan will be having their first drives in this prestigious event, which this year actually saw several drivers balloted out of the race.
Heats were run at Newcastle, Wagga and Parkes before drivers were chosen on a points-score basis following their participation in the five “prelude” races.
Still the quality of the field for this event shows that trainers are willing to support the Indigenous Drivers’ concept with three last-start Menangle winners among the field that will line up on Sunday for a race that this year has also been boosted to $15,000 in prizemoney.
My Whiskey Lullaby (to be driven by Ricky Potts), Rave Moonraker (Royce-Gregory-Jack) and Gina Grace (Andrew Lincoln) are all recent Menangle Saturday night winners while defending champion Jess Prior (pictured right) will handle another last-start winner in Heza Swinger from the in-form KerryAnn Turner stable.
Gregory-Jack is a two-time winner of this event while other previous winners Bruce O’Brien (2011) and Danny Gibson (2014) covered many kilometres to ensure they qualified to be there again this year while Menangle reinsman Jimmy Brown resumes his quest to get his name added to the Plate named after one his heroes, the late great Jimmy Caffyn senior, a prolific winner at the old Menangle circuit.
Another boost for the Indigenous Drivers Plate is that this year’s Fishers Ghost Family Fun Day meeting has also been elevated to a metropolitan-status meeting.
That should ensure champagne harness racing with an excellent free-for-all field boasting the likes of Monifieth, Lombo Kotakinabalu, Tact Tate, Ultimate Art, Blazin N Cullen and Iam Mr Brightside adding further fuel to a powerful nine-race Sunday afternoon card.
To cap off the meeting the $32,400 Group Two Jill McGrath Franco Australian Trotters Final will see a field of 14 of the best trotters in the state do battle over the marathon 3009m journey with smart trotter On Thunder Road expected to start favourite, despite his 30-metre handicap.
There’s plenty of ‘off-track’ attractions as well on Sunday with a smoking ceremony, dancers, singers and a ‘welcome to country’ all part of the day’s activities.
INDIGENOUS DRIVERS’
J.C. CAFFYN PLATE
HONOUR ROLL
2011 Bruce O’Brien
2012 Royce Gregory-Jack
2013 Royce Gregory-Jack
2014 Danny Gibson
2015 Jess Prior
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION TELEPHONE CLUB MENANGLE RACING MANAGER DAVID WONSON ON (02) 4645-2200.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
