15 November 2020 | Duncan Dornauf for Tasracing
The last leg of the Tasmanian Sires’ Stakes series rolls on into the Devonport Showgrounds on Sunday night for what will be the second last time the Group 2 Maxfield Drilling Raider Stakes and Group 2 Collins Homes Granny Smith will be held at the Showgrounds.
As far as Tasbred horses go, they don’t come more Tasmanian bred than Raider Stakes favourite Donny In Paris who is by Tasmanian bred stallion Rug Rat Donny.
Rug Rat Donny was the first horse Huonvile owner-breeder Don Hasell bred back in the early 90’s.
“I went and had a look at a paddock full of mares when I wanted to get into it at Kenny Austin’s place, and I picked Belmont Alley out as she was unraced and I took her up to Eric Fleming’s and got her in foal to Cognac Hanover and Rug Rat Donny was the result,” explained Don Hasell.
Rug Rat Donny had a 135-start career winning 15 races and notching up 35 placings on Tasmanian tracks. His owner-breeder Don Hasell decided to put a few of his own mares to the stallion with Donny In Paris doing the best job on the track from three pacers that have made it to the track from seven foals produced.
“I still have Rug Rat at home, and he looks like a two-year-old, not 26,” said Hasell.
With harness racing allowing artificial insemination, it allows breeders to access some of the best sires in the world, but Hasell was happy to give his stallion a chance.
“I went to him just because I owned him, he won 15 races and I thought I would give him a chance,” explained the owner-breeder.
“He never served anyone else’s horses, I had a few enquires but I didn’t want to muck around with anyone else’s mares.”
Hasell got out of the breeding game for a little while before being talked into to it when he was offered Paris Art with Donny In Paris the end result.
The lightly raced gelding has had 12 starts winning three races and has been placed on a further three occasions.
He won on debut in Hobart in August 2018 and after three starts he was transferred from the Paul Williams stable to Oatlands trainer Steve Lukac, when Willams was sidelined due to his health.
“Paul did a top job with him early, both him and Maree (Blake) are lovely people, and Steve has done an excellent job with him,” said the owner-breeder.
Donny In Paris was a Launceston winner two-starts ago and was fourth in his heat in Launceston last week, but from the pole draw tonight bookies have installed the pacer as the $2.90 favourite in the 2665-metre event.
He chased home Resurgent Storm in his heat, who sits on the second line of betting at $4.80 with Ashwood saying post-race on TasracingTV that the pacer “only does what he has to do in front.”
Pardoe Plugga led all the way to defeat Mister Gently in the other heat last week with both pacers drawing the second row.
The Granny Smith sees Still Hungover start a short price favourite from inside of the second row after a dominant heat win last Sunday.
Her driver Ricky Duggan said: “It was a good effort last week, and it helped dropping back to her own age and sex group,” when talking on Tasracing’s From the Stables Podcast.
“It was one place we didn’t want to draw, but we have ended up with it,” said the driver.
It looks to be a competitive night racing across the card with the $12,000 N.W.T.L.H.A Cup another highlight on the card that will have a hosted live stream on TasracingTV with the first of nine races scheduled for 18:07.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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