Tasmanian Harness Highlights – Wednesday, 13 June

13 June 2018 | Duncan Dornauf
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Fingal reinsman Brady Woods claimed his second junior driver series when he took out the 6ty° Youngbloods Challenge in Launceston on Sunday evening.

Woods claimed the Botra Claiming Novice Drivers series last year and will be looking to defend his title in that series early next month.

Tasracing this week announced race dates for the upcoming racing season.

The calendar sees an additional seven meetings for the season taking the total to 89, with 47 of those to be held on Friday night. The Tasmania Cup has moved from its traditional December time slot and will now be run on March 16. The Tasmanian Pacing Club will host a race meeting on Good Friday night which will be an Australian first for harness racing.

This week there are two meetings in the state with Hobart on Friday evening and in Launceston on Sunday night.

The Stars

Brady Woods - the 23-year-old driver claimed the 6ty° Youngbloods Challenge in Launceston on Sunday evening. Woods drove two of the six heat winners in the series and took a one-point lead into the final heat where he finished second on the four-year-old gelding Usain Jolt. To show the dedication by Woods to the series he flew back to the state from a planned interstate trip and then headed back across Bass Strait the following day.

Wade Rattray/Hannah Van Dongden - the Kings Meadows-based couple drove the last two heat winners of the 6ty° Youngbloods.

Taylor Ford – didn’t have much luck in the 6ty° Youngbloods Challenge but demonstrated her ability in the sulky with a driving double on Friday night in Hobart.

Rodney Ashwood – drove a double on Friday night in Hobart including the Tasracing Evicus Prelude with Spoilt Sport who led all the way to win by 7.3-metres. The daughter of Sportswriter is also trained by Ashwood.

Resurgent Storm – is the best two-year-old in the colts and gelding's category racing at present and was too strong for his rivals in the Tasracing Dandy Patch Prelude.

Devendra - it was announced this week that the duel Inter Dominion heat winner has been retired. The gelded son of Bettors Delight won 28 races from 84 starts with $448,966 in prize money. He was raced throughout his career by Viv Clark.

Multiple Winners

Hobart – Friday

Taylor Ford – driving double; Mary Jill and Warrior Mac
Rodney Ashwood – driving double; Selling The Dream and Spoilt Sport

Launceston – Sunday

No trainer or driver recorded more than one win on the card.

Calculated Sectional Standouts

Quickest last halves (800m) from last week’s action in Hobart on Friday
Enterprising Milly 57.80, Mary Jill 58.16, Selling The Dream 58.38, Betterbsweet 58.55 and Spoilt Sport 58.70.

From Launceston on Sunday
Our Percius 56.98, Falcon Harry 57.16, Chilla Breeze 57.28, Do It For Dave 57.35, El Jays Mystery 57.39.

View all Tasmanian Sectional Data here.

Tasracing Official Price

Hobart

Hit: Rocknrollhighlight $4.40 into $4.00.
Defied The Drift: Mary Jill $14 out to $18 and Warrior Mac $3.50 out to $4.80.
Missed: Sea Sky $4.00 into $3.40 and Ruby Mays Shadow $9.50 into $7.50.

Launceston

Hits: Metro Star $14 into $12 and Believe in Forever $3.40 into $2.50.
Defied The Drift: Finn Mac Kee $13 out to $16 and Chilla Breeze $10 out to $13.
Missed: Smilin Geoff $4.60 into $3.90, Barooga Jezza $4.80 into $4.40 and Blisstar $12 into $10.

Trial File

Launceston on Sunday

Two trials were staged prior to Sunday night's race meeting with Bridport trainer-driver Rohan Hadley claiming both trials. He won the first trial with recent stable addition Alaphilippee who won by a half head in a mile rate of 2mins 0.1secs, before winning trial two with My Ruby Rose who greeted the judge first by a neck in a mile rate of 2min 1.0secs, both trials were held over the 1680-metre distance.

Hobart on Monday

The Juanita McKenzie-trained Inner Light stepped out onto the track for the first time since running second in Hobart in late February. After finding the early lead in the standing start trial, driver Rodney Ashwood took the trail behind Swap Me before proving too strong over the concluding stages to win the trial by one metre in a mile rate of 2mins 6.0secs.

The remaining two trials were won by Miss Marnette (2:10.2) and Cypress Song (2:07.2)

Week Ahead

The Tasmanian Pacing Club will host Friday night harness racing this week with a competitive program.

The Steve Lukac trained Jackson Neptune will be looking to register his first win in the fifth race of the night.

Jackson Neptune is a gelded son of Auckland Reactor and has been placed in all of his three-career race starts to date including a last start second to two-year-old Resurgent Storm in the Elderslie Horse Care And Spelling Sweepstakes Final on May 18. To be driven by Rohan Hillier, Jackson Neptune has drawn barrier two in the nine-horse field.

The first race in Hobart on Friday evening is set to start at 18:24.

A seven-event card will be held Launceston on Sunday where the Wayne Campbell trained Buster William will be chasing his seventh win of the season in race two.

The Rock N Roll Heaven gelding has a terrific record this season which reads six wins and 10-placings from 18-starts.

Three of those wins have come in the pacers last five outings including a top win at Devonport last time out on June 1.

The Launceston fixture kicks off with the Olympus Feeds Stakes at 17:15.

Like always there is a strong Tasmanian presence interstate this weekend with some horses racing at metropolitan venues including;

Menangle - Saturday night

  • Race 2 - Horse 3. Pachacuti- Tasbred and Tasmanian owned,
  • Race 8 - Horse 6. Shezallapples- Tasbred.

Melton - Saturday night

  • Race 1 - Horse 2. Isaac- trained by Juanita McKenzie.

 

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