30 June 2022 | Mark Yole for Tasracing
Leading trainer/driver Mark Yole provides a behind the scenes look at the weekend of harness racing with Launceston on Friday night and Hobart on Sunday evening.
Weekend best
Hobart Race 6 – 10. Buster Byron
Impressive win last week. He hit the line strongly after I made a mid-race move and was very strong. Second row draw again here but I will have options, he has shown that I can put him into it early with a mid-race move or I can drive him to come with one run where I think he will be even better. I think he will be very hard to beat.
Under the Radar
Launceston Race 4 – 3. Ifbutzandmaybes
This bloke hasn’t enjoyed the best of luck lately but if you go back four starts, he ran second in a very similar race to this. He loves a front row draw and the mile distance. I should be able to push forward and settle in the first four. If I can nurse him until the final 400m, he should be right in the finish.
Wish I was in the sulky
Hobart Race 9 – 3. Arden Roanoke
I thought it was a really good effort from this gelding in Hobart last week. He showed good gate speed early to lead, then copped mid-race pressure and was only beaten by the barest of margins. From the good draw I see him crossing over to lead again and if he can sneak a breather, I don’t think the rest of the field can get past him.
Black booker
Launceston Race 1 – 9. Velocity Stride
Racing in a rich vein of form. He was a winner two starts ago here, then went to Hobart last week and had absolutely no luck whatsoever. He got badly blocked for a run on the home turn and that completely lost him his chance. Here he has a lovely trailing draw, and this doesn’t appear to be a strong race so I can see him unleashing his sprint late. Great chance.
Inside word
This week I’d like to talk about something a bit different. Horses pulling.
I have noticed a trend over the last few years where some drivers are pulling out on horses and making moves mid-race simply because a horse is pulling hard. When queried on their tactics they simply say I couldn’t hold it, and that has just been accepted.
When I was coming through as a young driver I was taught that if a horse was racing keenly you just had to lock your legs into the stirrups and hold onto them, and in most cases putting a horse’s head on the back of the helmet in front of you was the best place for them as it acted as a bit of a wall for the horse to sit behind. A moto I was told “that holding horses is 30% physical and 70% mental.”
Now don’t get me wrong, there are cases where a horse is out of control but if this is the case then they should be steered to the top of the track out of the way from other horses and drivers. Therefore, safe from danger and away from causing interference. So where do we draw the line? Is it a case that drivers aren’t as strong as they once were? Is it the sulkies we are now using? Or does some of the responsibility lie with the trainer and them not having the appropriate gear on their horses?
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
