16 December 2022 | Duncan Dornauf for Tasracing
It was a great night of racing in Hobart last Sunday, headlined by the Tasmanian Guineas, which was won in good style by Just Tiger.
The King Island season got underway on Saturday with a successful meeting held in brilliant weather conditions.
The Doug and Shirley Martin Memorial race night headlines this weekend’s meeting in Launceston on Sunday night with the Danbury Park Cup and Mother Of Pearl, while in Burnie on Friday will see the two heats of the North West Plate.
The Stars
Just Tiger – after being placed in the Group 2 Globe Derby, the Kristy Butler-trained pacer ended his season on a winning note with victory in the Tasmanian Guineas, giving his driver Kayleb Williams his most significant win in the sulky.
Ben Yole – took another step toward preparing his 300th Tasmanian season winner with a training quartet in Hobart to take his local tally to 297 victories.
Whey Better – won her sixth race of the season in the opening race on Sunday with a dominant all-the-way win.
Jack Laugher – Harness racing historian Peter Cooley informed that Jack became the seventh Tasmanian-born driver to drive a placing in the Inter Dominion Pacing Grand Final when second on Torrid Saint at Melton on Saturday, following in the footsteps of Jim Agnew (1st 1936), Len Moriarty (1st 1947), James Rattray (1st 2014 and 2015), Bert Cook (2nd 1939), Ceil Devine (2nd 1961) and Don Cornish (3rd 1952).
Feats of the meet
King Island, 10 December
Paul Williams – trained both pacing winners.
Hobart, 11 December
Ben Yole – training quartet,
Todd Rattray – training and driving double,
Mark Yole – driving double.
Calculated Sectional Standouts
Hobart, 11 December
Wattabout Spangher 56.58s, Hickstead and Aqua Sancta 56.67s, We Salute You 56.82s and Mighty Flying Art 56.83s.
Tasracing Official Price
Hobart, 11 December
Hits: Just Tiger $3.5 to $3.2, So Art I $1.5 into $1.3, Puntarno Stride $5 into $4.4, and Cullen Burn $4.2 into $3.1.
Defied The Drift: Whey Better $3.9 to $5.5, Svitolina Leis $2.15 to $3.6 and Lahood $6.5 to $12.
Missed: Stepping Stones $3.2 into $2.45, Nances Tiger $1.65 into $1.35, Galaxy Dancer $2.9 into $2.25 and Oneofthelads $7.5 into $4.6.
Week Ahead
Friday: Burnie host an eight-race card featuring two heats of the North West Plate from 18:06.
Heats of the 4YO Vicbred series will be held at Melton, where Tasmanian bred and dual Tasmanian Sires’ Stakes winner Longfellow has drawn barrier one in the seventh race, with the Golden Apple winner, Blitzern, drawn beside him in barrier two.
Saturday: Racing returns to King Island with two harness events on the dual code card.
At Menangle, Tasmanian owned and bred Izaha lines up in the opening race, drawing barrier 10 for this third consecutive start.
The Victorian metropolitan meeting of the weekend is at Cranbourne for Cup night, where Mach Dan, part-owned in the state, lines up.
On the support program Live For Peace, Kosimo and Rockntommy Rulz are also engaged.
Sunday: A nine-race card in Launceston featuring the Danbury Park Cup and Mother Of Pearl on Doug and Shirley Martin Memorial night, which commences at 17:25.
Monday: Sees the last lot of harness racing trials for 2022 to be held in Hobart and Burnie.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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