04 January 2018 | Shane Yates
It was an action packed weekend across Tasmania with three race meetings held across the state.
We farewelled 2017 with a bumper 10-race program at Carrick Park. The large crowd saw the rising stars of the track in action with Jack Laugher driving three winners on the program, while the states representive at last months Australasian Young Drivers Series, Matthew Howlett guided Rockin An Running to victory in the Meander Valley Cup. The Stars of the equine variety were also on show with the Paul Hill trained and driven pacer Feelin Dusty kicking off his three-year-old season with an effortless win.
2018 kicked off on the states two turf tracks with meetings staged at St Marys and King Island.
At St Marys, the Cup saw its first dead heat in the races 132-year history when the judge couldn’t split Full Speed Ahead and Solid As A Rock. Watch a great wrap of the event here.
Izaha was a comfortable winner in the 6ty Tasmanian Country Guineas while the local trainers had to wait till the final event on the program to taste success when Fingal’s Brady Woods guided Lorraine Grant (pictured) to victory for his grandfather Robert Woods.
King Island staged there Cup day for 2018 as well on Monday with local trainer Graeme Keeley training the quinella in the Island’s premier race.
All three meetings appeared to be well attended and a massive pat on the back must go to all of the hard working committees and volunteers that ensured all three meetings were a success and a credit to the industry.
The Stars
Jack Laugher – finished 2017 on a high note by out driving his concession claim in Tasmania with a driving treble at Carrick Park on Sunday. Last season’s leading junior driver will head across to Victoria this week to take up a position with Andy and Kate Gath.
Todd Rattray – Drove three and a half winners at St Marys on Monday including the 6ty Tasmanian Country Guineas with Izaha and dead heated in the Cupwith Full Speed Ahead, both are also trained by Rattray. Rattray also drove another two winners on the program.
Kevin Denny – hobby trainer who continued his good run with a training double at St Marys on Monday.
Ben Yole – extended his state trainers premiership lead with a training treble across the weekend.
Graeme Keeley – trained the quinella in the King Island Pacing Cup on Monday with Regmondo and Captain Mordecai. Watch the 2018 King Island Pacing Cup here.
Multiple winners
Carrick Park – Sunday
Jack Laugher; driving treble with The Majority, Gotta Go Henry and Stylish Trend.
Paul Hill; driving double with Feelin Dusty and Dodgermemate.
St Marys – Monday
Todd Rattray; training and driving double with Izaha and Full Speed Ahead. He also made it a driving quartet with wins aboard Preferred Lies and Dellas Command.
Kevin Denny; training double with Preferred Lies and Dellas Command.
Ben Yole; training double with Laid Back Kenny and Pushkin.
Calculated Sectional Standouts
Quickest last halves (800m) from last week’s action at Carrick Park on Sunday.
Drayton 57.16, Jeans Mattjesty 58.01, Remember Joe 58.09, War Chest 58.16 and Regal Idea 58.26.
View all Tasmanian sectional data here.
Tasracing Official Price
Carrick Park
Hit: Gotta Go Henry $2.70 into $2.40
Defied The Drift: Stylish Trend $1.80 out to $2.60
Missed: Cemento Rapido (2nd) $81 into $26
Black Booker
Miss Ruthless
After beginning safely from her second row draw at St Marys on Monday driver Natalee Emery positined the mare three back along the fence quickly after the start of the 1810 metre race. Emery was able to ease of the peg line at the 600-metre mark and was unable to find clear racing room over the final stages to fully test the seven-year-old mare. With her safe manners and a number of standing start races coming up over recent weeks.
Watch the replay here.
Trial File
Scottsdale on Saturday
Four trials were staged at Scottsdale in preparation for Friday’s race meeting.
The quickest mile rate of the morning was 2:12.2 which was recorded by Heavennroll who scored by a nose over Hamna Shida in a C0 and better class trial.
Former Victorian pacer Yodellin Cowgirl recorded the second quickest mile rate of the session in 2:12.7. The Art Official mare has recently joined the stables of Marc Butler.
Punters may have noted a new name in the trial results with 15-year-old Georgia Hayward having her first trial drive at the trial session. Hayward helps local trainer Kent Rattray with his team of pacers when time allows around her education.
Other winners on Saturday morning were; Buster William (2:14.5) and Molly Malones (2:18.9). Full results are available here.
Week Ahead
The country cup circuit rolls on into Scottsdale on Friday with a competitive eight-race program beginning at 16:29.
The Cup is set down as race six where Todd Rattray will be looking for back-to-back wins in the race after winning last year with Fortino. On Friday Rattray will partner Full Speed Ahead in the $12,000 feature.
Trainers Kent Rattray and Rohan Hadley will be out trying to ensure the cup stays in the local region. Kent puts the polish on Timely Sovereign who is the winner of seven races and was placed in a recent Scottsdale trial while Hadley will partner Paint The Wind who he also trains. The American Ideal gelding comes off a last start win in Devonport on Boxing night.
The Hobart Pacing Cup headlines the Tasmanian Pacing Club race meeting on Sunday night with the feature race being set down to commence at 19:53.
The race has attracted a very strong field including last-start winner Dapper Dana who will be looking to give his trainer Rohan Hillier back-to-back wins in the race as a driver. Hillier won the race last year on I’m Barney Rubble who is also engaged in the race and is now trained by a Rohan Hadley. I’m Barney Rubble is one of two past winners contesting the race, the other is 2016 winner and last-start Carrick Park winner Remember Joe.
The Majority is another last-start winner in the race and will start from barrier four in the $25,000 feature.
The inform Todd Rattray stable has a two-prong attack on the race with Taurisi coming up with pole position in the 3060-metre event and the Tasmania Cup runner-up Roger Ramjet who will carry the number 13 saddlecloth after drawing barrier four on the 10-metre line.
The first of eight races in Hobart gets underway at 18:18.
Both meetings will feature a hosted live stream coverage commencing with a track side preview half hour prior to the first race at both meetings.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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