05 October 2017 | Duncan Dornauf
October promises to be the first of a great few months of Harness Racing in Tasmania headlined by the Australian Drivers Championship in Hobart on Saturday night the 28th.
The first of the feature Free-For-All races for the season the $10,000 Show Cup will be staged at the Luxbet Racing Centre in Launceston this Sunday and has brought together the best pacers in the state for the 2200-metre standing start event.
Before we get to Launceston let’s look back at last week’s action at Luxbet Park in Hobart last Sunday evening.
The Stars
Rohan Hillier – kept favourite punters happy with a training double on the seven-event program with the in-form mare All My Savings and Im Barney Rubble who continued his dominance in Claiming races.
Ricky Duggan – scored in the opening event on the Rodney Ashwood trained Swap Me, Duggan then demonstrated his talent in the sulky with a 10 out of 10 drive in Grinable.
Justin Campbell – has Boltnmach flying, the Mach Three gelding brought up a hat-trick of wins after death seating for the final 1400 metres of Sunday’s win.
Jack Laugher – last season’s leading junior driver took time out of his Victorian stint to fly back to his home state for a driving double.
Black Booker
Lettuceliealittle
This Matthew Cooper trained and owned mare was having her first start in the state last Sunday evening. Lettuceliealittle got off to a rough start with race caller Colin McNiff said in his call that the mare missed the start by 40 metres. Driver Justin Campbell stuck to the peg line when he tacked onto the field and continued to improve in the home straight running onto the back of runners around her and it appeared the pacer had something left despite her early work in the race.
Watch the replay here
Calculated Sectional Standouts
Quickest last halves (800m) from last week’s action in Hobart on Sunday.
Jeans Mattjesty 57.14, Jukebox Music 57.52, Im Barney Rubble 57.57, Im Born To Rule 57.87, Heza Rummage 57.92.
View all Tasmanian sectional data here.
Trial File
Pachacuti warmed up for his trip across Bass Strait this weekend with an effortless trial win at Carrick, winning the trial by 20 metres his other three rivals were assessed between C1 and C2. The mile rate of 2:15.6 was clearly the slowest of the morning on the heavy track. He was privately clocked running his last quarter just under 28.0 seconds when coming from last in the trial.
Other winners at the trial session were Albayzin (2:10.9) and Stryker (2:10.6).
Week Ahead
It’s a big weekend for Tasmanian harness followers this weekend.
The North Eastern Pacing Club will stage their annual awards night on Friday evening while across Bass Strait Devonport and Easter Cup winner Pachacuti will take on a star-studded line up in the Group 2 Smoken Up Sprint at Melton.
On Saturday night at Luxbet Park Hobart the 2016-17 Tasmanian Harness Racing Awards & Hall Of Fame Dinner will take place. Limited tickets are still available and can be purchased here.
The $10,000 Tasmanian Horse Transport Show Cup is the feature event in Launceston on Sunday evening. The star-studded line up includes Destreos who brought a lot of positive social media attention to the state when he stepped out in Launceston two weeks ago. Also engaged in the race is Devendra who will continue his path to this year’s Inter Dominion when he starts off a 40-metre handicap in the race. This year’s Hobart Cup winner, Im Barney Rubble who has been dominating Claiming races of recent months will also be out trying to continue his good form. The first of eight races is set down for 17:52.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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