30 September 2019 | Duncan Dornauf
Lightly raced five-year-old mare Brystabella has caused plenty of headaches for her connections during her 14-start career but they are starting to be rewarded for their patience when the Sutter Hanover mare recorded her fourth career win in the Tasmanian Veterinary Services Pace in Hobart on Sunday night.
The Paul Ashwood-driven pacer settled one-out and six-back and would have been a good 60 metres off the leader at the 1200-metre mark.
Brystabella raced three-wide over the final 1100 metres and proved too good late to score by 7.1 metres in a career-best mile rate of 1m 56.6s.
“She was along way back and Paul said she could have gone a little bit better so that was good to hear,” said trainer Ray Pullen after the win.
The winner of over $30,000 in prize money earnings has had a history of over racing in her races and the trainer is now believing he is getting on top of that.
“I changed a bit of gear on her this week and it seemed to suit, so hopefully we have her under control now,” said Pullen.
“She is a good mare when she’s on song, but some days she just pulls too hard,” the trainer added.
Pullen is hoping that Brystabella can continue to develop going forward but he has no major plans going forward.
“I won’t back her up this week as she had a tough run in Launceston last Wednesday as well, but I will just plan her week to week and try to pick out a few mares races if we can,” he said.
Pullen only has four horses in his care but is hoping to build up to six soon, a number that he will be happy with.
Paul Ashwood trained the winner of the Go Racing Tasmania Pace when he and concession driver Hannah Van Dongen continued their winning combination once again with Krafty Boy.
Van Dongen took the five-year-old entire straight off the inside from her second-row draw to settle one-out and five-back before gaining a three-wide trail over the final 1100 metres of the race.
Krafty Boy went on to win by one metre over the fast-finishing Pink Ponder in a mile rate of 1m 59.9s.
Oatlands trainer-driver Matthew Cooper was hopeful that Call Me Hector may have been able to gain another track record, and the gelded son of Art Major missed out by 1.3s when they recorded 1m 57.6s in the Hobart Signwriters Pace.
Cooper took the $1.16 favourite straight to the lead and scored by 9.2 metres over Star Chamber and No Spring Secrets.
Ifbutzandmaybes scored at odds of $21 in the Ladbrokes Park Elwick Pace, courtesy of a fence hugging drive by Paul Hill.
Another long priced win of the Early Quaddie was the Ben Yole trained, Mark Yole driven, Black Ops in the Triple M Hobart Pace, the eight-year-old entire went around at odds of $41 from barrier seven and weaved his way through the field to cause the biggest upset of the night.
In the Crown Lager Pace, the Thomas Jackson trained Finn Mac Kee led all the way to register his 10th career win.
The Paul Hill driven eight-year-old will no doubt be a contender during the upcoming Country Cup Carnival.
Underwood trainer Heath Szczypka travelled down the Midland Highway with only one runner on board and he didn’t go home empty-handed with Bounty Eyre finding the winner’s circle first after running placings at his last three efforts in the Rexel North Hobart Claimer.
There were three claims in the race with Im Barney Rubble, Karalta Dazzler and Stylish Trend all finding new homes.
The Adrian Duggan trained four-year-old gelding Sacramento Sun won his first race at his seventh race track appearance in the Robert Sprint Lane Pace courtesy of a copybook drive by Ricky Duggan.
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