16 April 2021 | Duncan Dornauf for Tasracing
Only six races will be staged in Hobart on Friday evening, the first of two small cards for the weekend’s harness action.
Friday night’s feature event is the prelude of the Light Harness Tasmania Cup, which is arguably the race of the weekend.
Earl Jujon and Still Hungover jointly share the 30-metre handicap with No Apachemee in the 2579-metre standing start event.
Earl Jujon finished fourth in the Group 2 Tasmania Cup last month and has won two races since, the most recent in the Patrons Marathon in Devonport on Friday, where he was extremely slow but safely away from the tapes.
Still Hungover also has some form in feature races this preparation, including a brave second to Our Princess Tiffany in the Listed George Johnson two starts ago, before being placed off a 10-metre handicap in the Kevin Gillies Memorial at her last outing.
Ricky Duggan has driven the five-year-old mare in many of her recent starts, but he will drive talented three-year-old Sharmey, who will start from the front row in Friday’s race.
Trained by Juanita McKenzie, the gelded son of Rocknroll Heaven will be having his first standing start try after qualifying in a trial on Monday night where he was slow but safely away from the tapes.
The winner of seven races from only 16 starts will be out to complete a winning hat-trick after recent wins in Hobart and Launceston.
Last seasons Group 2 Bandbox winner Blame It On Me faces a 20-metre handicap, while the interesting runner in the race is the Bianca Heenan-trained Coolhand Easton.
The pacer has won nine of his 61 starts, including a win at his only standing start try at Gore (New Zealand) in December 2018 in a race restricted to junior drivers.
A gelded son of Washington V C, Coolhand Easton arrived in the strong Riverina area of New South Wales in October, where he has impressed, winning six races since arriving.
By just completing the course, all 14 runners in the prelude will be first selected for the $12,000 Final, which will be held in Hobart on 25 April.
Friday night’s meeting can be seen on Sky Racing 2 and TasracingTV from 17:26
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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