30 May 2022 | Duncan Dornauf for Tasracing
Sunny Sanz now holds the title of the fastest pacer on Tasmanian soil.
The Sportswriter gelding stopped the clock at 1m 54.1s when scoring in the St Virgil’s FC Pace over 1609m at the Tasmanian Trotting Club meeting in Hobart on Sunday night.
A quick time was ensured in the national rating 75 to 105 event with a slick 27.5s first quarter, of which Sunny Sanz was working forward three horses wide before he could take up the lead near the 1100m.
Once in front, reinsman Gareth Rattray allowed the pacer to bowl along in the lead, running quarters of 29.3s and 29.1s before dashing home in a final quarter of 28.2s to hold off the late challenge from Buster William ($21) by 3.9m with Shannonstheman ($7.50) a further 7.4m away third.
Punters didn’t miss out on Sunny Sanz either, with the Kent Rattray-prepared pacer being backed from $1.95 into $1.35 on the Tasracing Official Price.
Sunny Sanz, who has had an injury-plagued career, is undoubtedly rewarding his north-east based owner-breeders, Nathan and Sandra Bennett, for their patience and perseverance with the six-year-old gelding earning $129,637 from 26 starts, with Sunny finding the winners stall in 13 of those efforts.
The pacer is undoubtedly the best they have been involved with, the Bennett’s having an 18-year association with the Kent Rattray stable.
The previous state and track record was 1m 54.3s set by the Matthew Cooper-trained and driven Call Me Hector in September 2019.
It was a handy night for favourite punters across the 10-race Hobart card, with former New South Wales mare Eippermil ($1.35) scoring by 7.9m at her first start since joining the Bianca Heenan stable with her partner Nathan in the Sulky.
Lancelot ($2.60) bounced back to the winner’s list after being defeated at a short quote the week prior for trainer-driver Todd Rattray, while Sporty Ben ($4.40), who is raced in the same interest as Lancelot, scored later in the night for trainer Mark Reggett and driver Mark Yole.
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