20 December 2017 | Duncan Dornauf
The final meeting before this Friday night’s Triple M Hobart Tasmania Cup was staged at the Luxbet Racing Centre in Launceston on Sunday afternoon.
The nine-event program was dominated by the Hillier brothers with Rohan driving the four legs of the quaddie, with his brother Troy bringing home the dough with Illegal Immigrant (pictured) who was having his first start in the country.
This week the Group 2 Triple M Hobart Tasmania Cup headlines a great night of racing at the Elwick Racing Centre in Hobart.
Punters will be hoping to build a bank at the last race meeting before Christmas and a massive harness racing schedule across the festive season with harness racing at Devonport and King Island on December 26, Carrick Park on December 31, St. Marys and King Island on January 1 and Scottsdale on January 5 before heading back to Elwick for the Hobart Pacing Cup on January 7.
The Stars
Rohan Hillier – dominated the Launceston program by driving the four legs of the quaddie. He trained the injury plagued Dapper Dana to win in the discretionary handicap and Solid As A Rock to his second victory this month. The Beauty Point based horseman also drove Plata O Plomo and All Style Sammy to victory.
Illegal Immigrant – former Kiwi pacer that has found his way to the Troy Hillier stable couldn’t have been more impressive at his Australian debut winning by 9 metres.
Similan Beach – remains undefeated after three life time starts. Sunday’s win was the first start as a three-year-old for the gelded son of Somebeachsomewhere who will be contesting some of the feature three-year-old races later in the season.
Multiple winners
King Island – Saturday
Ian Johnson training double; Yankee Avenue and Optimus Bart
Launceston – Sunday
Rohan Hillier four wins as a driver; Plata O Plomo, Dapper Dana, Solid As A Rock and All Style Sammy. Also two wins as a trainer; Dapper Dana and Solid As A Rock.
Shelley Barnes training double; Lead Singer and Moto Kenny.
Jack Laugher driving double; Rainbow Phoenix and Moto Kenny.
Calculated Sectional Standouts
Quickest last halves (800m) from last week’s action in Launceston on Sunday.
Solid As A Rock 56.85, Invest 57.06, Destreos 57.22, Volkova Leis 57.26 and Bayridge Bill 57.25.
View all Tasmanian sectional data here
Tasracing Official Price
Launceston
Hit’s: Rainbow Phoenix $31 into $18 and Dapper Dana $5 into $3.20
Defied the Drift: Solid As A Rock $3.20 out to $3
Missed: Followthewind (3rd) $6 into $4.80
Black Booker
Goggo Gee Gee
This Todd Rattray-trained pacer worked to find the spot outside the leader after 200 metres of the race. His driver Barrie Rattray then unsuccessfully had a look for the lead for the next 200 metres of the race. Despite facing the breeze for the final 1800 metres of the race, the gelded son of Bettors Delight whacked away well over the concluding stages and was just pipped for second placing in the shadows of the post.
Watch the replay here
Trial File
St. Marys on Saturday
Trial results were unavailable at the time of publication.
Luxbet Park Hobart on Monday
Six trials were staged at the session where the Paul Hill-trained and driven colt Feelin Dusty returned to the track for the first time since winning the Group 3 Dandy Patch in June. On Monday evening Paul Hill took the Mr Feelgood colt to the lead to win the trial in a mile rate of 2 minutes 2.2 seconds which was clearly the quickest of the night.
Devonport on Monday
The Paul Ashwood-trained Krafty Boy recorded the quickest mile rate of the five trials that were staged at the Devonport Showgrounds. Driven by his trainer Paul Ashwood, Krafty Boy was able to lead all the way to win by four metres in a mile rate of 2:03.3. Krafty Boy was one of two Paul Ashwood trained winners at the session with Sultan Fella winning the standing start trial by one metre. Sultan Fella was handled in the trial by James Johnson who is returning to the industry after taking a break from the sport to concentrate on work commitments.
Week Ahead
The running of the Group 2 Triple M Hobart Tasmania Cup will be run at the Elwick Racing Centre in Hobart on Friday evening. Victorian trained pacer Major Secret has been installed as a short price favourite in early makets.
The Emma Stewart trained entire defeated a similar class of field in the City of Launceston Cup earlier this month.
The $20,000 Crown Larger George Johnson also looks like it will head back across Bass Straight when Milly Perez lines up in the states premier mares race.
Milly Perez will be having her first start since joining the Michael Stanley stable. The Four Starzzz Shark mare is the winner of 18 races including a Group 1 win in 2015.
Friday’s eight event program will be telecast on Sky Racing 1 plus a hosted live stream coverage on tasracing.com.au commencing with a track side preview at 6:40pm.
On Tuesday evening the Devonport Harness Racing Club will stage one of there popular race meetings with a nine event program.
Also on Boxing Day the King Island Racing Club will stage two harness event on the duel code race meeting. The meeting is the final led up to the King Island Cup on January, 1, 2018.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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