27 March 2020 | Duncan Dornauf for Tasracing
There weren’t any members of the public allowed access to the track last weekend where we had two brilliant meetings.
The Burnie Harness Racing Club staged their last meeting of the season on Friday night before the action turned to Launceston last Sunday.
This week we race in Hobart on Friday night and Launceston on Sunday night with both meetings to be televised on Sky Racing 1.
The Stars
Rohan Hillier – continued his excellent run of late with a training and driving double in Launceston on Sunday night. His first win of the night was with five-year-old mare Giftofjoy who justified her short quote at her first run back from late September before Prosecution Witness found some of his best form that he produced last season, with a handy win in a rating 56 to 65 rated race.
Resurgent Rebel – continued a strong family tradition when she won the opening race for two-year-old’s when she scored a half-head victory. The Zeke Slater-trained and Troy McDonald driven filly is by Heston Blue Chip and is out of Resurgent Star who has produced Resurgent Spirit (31 wins), Resurgent Dream (10 wins) and Resurgent Storm (10 wins).
Ben Yole – once again had a big weekend, he notched up his 100th Tasmanian win of the season and his 800th career win as a trainer after training five winners in Burnie on Friday night and three in Launceston on Sunday.
Samantha Gangell – registered her first win as a trainer when Navua Pixie scored a runaway win in the Kelly’s Waste Management Sweepstakes in Burnie. Gangell has been a driver for the past four seasons and four months ago she branched out with her partner Troy McDonald to prepare a small team at Brighton.
Kyle Pratten – registered his first driving treble after he had a night out in Burnie, including the N.W.T.L.H.A Mares Incentive with Amazing Daisy. All three of his wins were trained by his employer Ben Yole.
Multiple Winners
Burnie – Friday evening
Ben Yole – training quintet – Good Feelings, Keep Playing, Amazing Daisy, Lake Eyre and My Ultimate Romeo.
Kyle Pratten – driving treble: Keep Playing, Amazing Daisy and My Ultimate Romeo.
Conor Crook – driving double: Falcon Harry and Lake Eyre.
Launceston – Sunday evening
Ben Yole – training treble; Quick Changeover, Another Mortgage and Perfect Mach.
Rohan Hillier -training and driving double; Giftofjoy and Prosecution Witness.
Conor Crook – driving double; Stormont Star and Perfect Mach.
Calculated Sectional Standouts
Quickest last halves (800m) from last week’s action.
Burnie – Friday evening
Unavailable
Launceston – Sunday evening
Resurgent Storm 56.82s, Perfect Mach 56.84s, Boss Major 56.91s, Prosecution Witness 57.03s and Southern Gnp 57.10s.
View all available Tasmanian Sectional Data by clicking here.
Tasracing Official Price
Burnie – Friday evening
Hit’s: None of the seven winners firmed in the betting.
Defied The Drift: Good Feelings $3.60 out to $4.20, Keep Playing $8.50 out to $11.00, Falcon Harry $3.00 out to $3.40, Navua Pixie $4.60 out to $7.00 and My Ultimate Romeo $2.90 out to $3.70.
Missed: Amendment Thirteen $7.50 into $4.40, Frostyflyer $14.00 into $8.00, Island Bliss $6.00 into $4.00, Nikks Pick $3.20 into $2.60 and Karalta Kruise $6.00 into $3.60.
Launceston – Sunday evening
Hit’s: Giftofjoy $1.75 into $1.50, Prosecution Witness $5.50 into $5.00, Blackbird Power $26.00 into $20.00, Stormont Star $5.50 into $5.00 and Another Mortgage $18.00 into $9.50.
Defied The Drift: Resurgent Rebel $3.20 out to $3.50, Quick Changeover $6.50 out to $7.00, Perfect Mach $8.00 out to $17.00 and Kadar $5.00 out to $5.50.
Missed: Our Ideal Fella $3.20 into $2.50, Yellow Taxi $21.00 into $15.00, Resurgent Storm $4.40 into $4.00, Black Centurian $13.00 into $5.00, Neds Beach $4.20 into $3.40, Alaphilippe $5.50 into $3.30, Northview Dave $3.00 into $2.30.
Trial File
Hobart – Monday evening
Cool Water Paddy intended to race at Melton on Saturday night, but after concerns around potential travel restrictions due to COVID-19 at the time, the connections elected not to accept for the race.
Instead, the gelded son of Ohoka Arizona stepped out in a Hobart trial on Monday night where the pacer successfully qualified from a standing start.
The Juanita McKenzie-trained pacer was driven by his regular driver Ricky Duggan to a three-metre win over stablemate Im Jaks Teller and Finn Mac Kee in a mile rate of 1m 59.6s.
The remaining five trials were won by; Magic Pebbles (2m 15.0s), Buster Malone (2m 9.3s), Gipsy Treasure (2m 4.7s), Spoilt Sport (2m 5.8s) and Distinctive Del (2m 4.6s).
Devonport – Monday evening
Only three trials were held on Monday night where Spot Eight led all the way to record the quickest winning mile rate of 2m 3.2s in a 51 to 61 rated trial over Ima Birubi Boy and Maybe Jack.
Other winners included Estelle who led all the way to win in 2m 4.3s and Heza Sport who won a combined two and three-year-old trial in 2m 10.7s.
Due to COVID-19, there have been many changes to Tasmanian harness trials going forward. All trials will be restricted to horses that need to qualify or horses that are barred from racing. Trials will only be held at race meetings. Further details are available on the Tasracing Corporate website.
Week Ahead
Increased hygiene measures this weekend will see drivers who have registered colours wear them in their drives.
The form guide on harness.org.au has been updated to reflect the correct colours that will be carried this weekend.
Hobart race on Friday night and the meeting has been moved to Sky Racing 1 after the cancellation of the harness meeting in Geelong.
Seven races will be held where Victorian trainer Kate Hargreaves will be hoping Sweet Lou gelding Dyslexic will be able to break his Tasmanian maiden after placing second in all three starts in the state including the Tasmanian Derby two starts ago.
Sunday night in Launceston sees the running of the Launceston Mile where we see Cool Water Paddy take on the open class placers for the first time in his career.
He has drawn the pole in the 1680-metre dash and goes into the race off a win in a standing start trial in Hobart on Monday night.
No doubt the connections are considering next month’s Easter Cup after they aborted a Melton campaign.
The Launceston card kicks off at 17:23 with trials to be held approximately one hour prior to the first race.
Interstate this weekend we some local pacers going around including;
Melton – Saturday night
Race 8 Horse 5 Blingittothemax
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
