22 December 2017 | Shane Yates
One of the Classic nights of Harness Racing in Tasmania will be staged tonight in Hobart.
It’s Triple M Hobart $50,000 Tasmania Cup night, with the time-honoured $20,000 George Johnson Mares Feature also on the exciting eight-event card of racing.
Major Secret is back for a tilt at completion of the City Of Launceston Cup – Tasmania Cup feature double for leading Victorian trainer Emma Stewart.
Major Secret inflicted a demoralising defeat on its opposition in Launceston when driven by Chris Alford, the seven-year-old Art Major – Secret Life gelding waltzing in by 21.6-metres in an awesome display.
Alford won’t be making the trip to Hobart for tonight’s feature, instead, the job has fallen to Belguim born 29-year-old Sidney Van Den Brande.
Van de Brande has been working for Stewart and partner Clayton Tonkin after a short stint with David Aitken earlier this year and will be keen to repay the pair for the opportunity to experience the workings of one of the nation’s leading training facilities.
Former Tasmanian Derby winner Mr Lennox (pictured) is nearing top form, chasing home Destreos earlier in the month while the 2016 Easter Cup winner Riverboat Jasper returns to the state in a bid to capture another feature victory.
The George Johnson Mares Feature has always attracted a class field and this year is no exception.
Milly Perez, will be having her first start for the Mark Stanley yard and will run a short-priced favourite.
The seven-year-old mare has competed against the top mares in the land, having recorded a 1:52.7 mile-rate, with the last of her 18 wins coming in the Mildura Cup in May.
The Deborah Williams prepared Olwen Jaccka has won four of her last six races and along with the Matthew Dwyer prepared Queen’s Advocate and Ima Ginger Rodgers from the stables of Steven Davis appear the leading Tasmanian hopes of upsetting the odds-on favourite.
See tonight’s harness racing action from Hobart, commencing at 18:40 via the live stream service at tasracing.com.au.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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