26 September 2017
Mersey Delight delivered a knockout blow to punters when she upstaged the top fancies in the McKillop Insurance Brokers Stakes on Sunday night at a water-soaked Luxbet Racing Centre in Launceston.
The Bettor’s Delight – The Spider Woman six-year-old mare, trained at Kimberley by David Hayes, was one of three despised outsiders in the field and was sent out at bolters odds ($78), but that didn’t stop her notching up the fourth win of her career.
Driver Paul Ashwood snagged Mersey Delight to the pegs behind the leader Whenthegroundshook in the charge to the first turn and enjoyed a soft run until 200 metres from home when the gap opened between the frontrunner and Goggo Gee Gee.
Mersey Delight (pictured-No 3) surged through the opening to gain the day in a blanket finish by a short half-head over Goggo Gee Gee with the favourite Jilliby Gigi close-up third.
Ben Yole took the training honours, preparing four winners for the night.
Postal Express ($25), driven by Rohan Hillier started the ball rolling early by flying home in the opening race on the card.
Punters were much happier when the state’s leading trainer prepared the winner of race three, the 6TY Stakes.
Hear The Call, the $2.60 favourite, was lifted over the line by Robert Walters after leading all the way over 1680-metres, defeating Olwen Jackka by a head.
Ben’s third winner came when Todd Rattray piloted Ultimate Courage ($18.70) to the post, knocking off the short-priced elect All My Savings by 1.4 metres.
Robert Walters rounded out the successful night for the stable by turning in a drive of the night performance aboard Another Swinger, squeezing through along the pegs after the favourite Roger Ramjet galloped under pressure to topple the gallant Destreos in the shadows of the post.
Last season’s leading reinsman Todd Rattray also shrugged off the torrential rain that fell throughout the night to land a winning treble.
Along with his victory with Ultimate Courage, Todd picked up wins with his highly talented five-year-old gelding Taurisi scoring a runaway victory by 11.4 metres and followed up with success behind promising four-year-old Hayley’s Comet ($2.60).
Cromac Jamie ($12) led all the way for owner-trainer Bianca Heenan scoring a solid win over the luckless Full Speed Ahead in race seven.
Dylan Ford dictated the terms to a nicety with the nine-year-old and still had a metre up his sleeve in a driving finish over the odds-on favourite Full Speed Ahead, which was badly inconvenienced at the start.
Eternal Shadow broke through for the first win of its career in the last for trainer-driver Paul Williams.
The Shadow Play – Eternal Life four-year-old gelding got home by the barest of margins over Triple Aitch Fella in the very last stride.
When studying the sectionals from Sunday’s meeting in Launceston you will need to factor in the torrential rain that fell throughout the night and the effect it had on the track.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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