Leading trainer Ben Yole rewrote the record books when he broke the record for the most number of wins in a season by a Tasmanian trainer in Launceston on Friday evening.
That wasn’t the only record broken last weekend with the age record for three-year-old’s in Hobart on Sunday was also rewritten.
This week the $12,000 Golden Mile in Launceston is the feature race of the weekend and is a part of an 8-race card on Sunday at the TAB Racing Centre Mowbray in Launceston, while the Tasmanian Trotting Club will stage a 6-race program on Friday evening.
The Stars
Ben Yole – the state’s leading trainer prepared seven winners last week to take his season total to 128 wins and 281 placings from a staggering 1857 starters. Yole has prepared 124 winners the past two seasons which has been the most number of wins by a trainer in the state until he smashed that record with three and half months remaining for the current season in Launceston on Friday night with Jeans Mattjesty being the successful horse to rewrite the record books.
Spoilt Sport - it’s hard to believe this filly hadn’t won a race this season from her four starts prior to her win in Hobart on Sunday. But she was able to race up to her brilliant form that she had shown prior when she was a runaway winner on Sunday by 16.8 metres, Spoilt Sport recorded a time of 1m 56.6s for the 1609-metre journey which broke the previous age record in Hobart for that distance which was held by Scooterwillrev when he won at the venue on August 6, 2017. The Rodney Ashwood-trained filly is the $2.90 second favourite for next month's Group 2 Bandbox Stakes in Launceston.
Redason - another runner from the in-form Rodney Ashwood stable who continued his good record this season when he made it back-to-back wins in Hobart. The gelded son of Majestic Son has won four of his 12 starts this season with a further seven placings to his credit.
I Wanna Rock - continues to re-pay his trainer, driver, owner and breeder Sam Rawnsley for his perseverance with the injury-plagued six-year-old gelding who won his fifth race on Sunday at only his eighth race start.
Izaha – remains on track for the Group 2 Raider Stakes in Devonport in mid-June when he recorded his fifth win of the season in the Pace Financial Services Discretionary Handicap on Sunday night.
Multiple Winners
Launceston – Friday evening
Ben Yole - training quartet; Mister Resister, Our Quinn, Perfect Mach and Jeans Mattjesty.
Rohan Hillier - driving double; Boss Major and Perfect Mach.
Troy McDonald - Our Quinn and Jeans Mattjesty
Hobart – Sunday evening
Ben Yole - training treble; Artiflash, Im Full Tilt and Monarkmac.
Rodney Ashwood - training double; Spoilt Sport and Redason.
Gareth Rattray - driving double; Redason and Resurgent Storm.
Calculated Sectional Standouts
Quickest last halves (800m) from last week’s action.
Launceston – Friday evening
Remember Joe 56.47s, Im Barney Rubble 56.60 and Jeans Mattjesty 56.63s. Outside of race eight; Perfect Mach 57.03s and Poker Storm 57.18s.
Hobart – Sunday evening
Izaha 57.16s, Drifting Away 57.53s, Give Me The Night 57.57s, Touchwood Levista 57.63s and Spoilt Sport 57.70s.
View all available Tasmanian Sectional Data by clicking here.
Tasracing Official Price
Launceston – Friday evening
Hits: Perfect Mach $17 into $10, Our Quinn $8.50 into $6.00 and Boss Major $2.90 into $2.50.
Defied The Drift: Jeans Mattjesty $4.00 out to $5.50, Drillittobits $4.40 out to $5.00 and Mister Resister $6.50 out to $7.00.
Missed: Monarkmac $10 into $5.00, Lutetia Midfrew $12 into $8.50, Hez The One $6.50 into $3.40 and Spot Eight $3.40 into $2.80.
Hobart – Sunday evening
Hits: Spoilt Sport $3.30 into $2.90, Izaha $1.90 into $1.50 and I Wanna Rock $2.30 into $2.00.
Defied The Drift: Monarkmac $41 out to $51, Im Full Tilt $21 out to $31 and Artiflash $7.50 out to $10.
Missed: Our Quinn $31 into $16, Jeans Mattjesty $31 into $16, Tiwanaku $26 into $19 and Pockets Of Courage $15 into $9.50.
Trial File
Devonport - Monday evening
Three trials were held on a rain-affected track on Monday evening.
The quickest winning mile rate of 2m 5.0s was recorded by unraced three-year-old Muchison in a 3C0 and better trial.
The John Castles-trained pacer scored by a half metre with his nephew Charlie taking the reins on the three-year-old gelding who is by Blissfull Hall and is out of the Thorate mare Gypsy Byrd.
Recording a time of 2m 26.9s for the 1930-metre trip, Muchison defeated open class pacer Exciteusinthecity and trotter Ten Caisses.
Remaining trials were won by Goggo Gee Gee (2m 10.2s) and Pushkin (2m 14.9s)
Week Ahead
The state’s junior driver ranks have been bolstered with two concession drivers to call Tasmania home.
Victorian reinswoman Olivia Weidenbach has been a regular fly-in driver in recent weeks and has now relocated to the state to take up a position with the Ben Yole stable, while Ben Woodsford will arrive in the state today (Thursday).
Woodsford has been doing his recent driving in Queensland and has won 34 races, including two metropolitan wins from 139 drives since his first race drive in May 2016.
The Queenslander has taken up a position with trainer Gavin Kelly who is currently expanding his team after gaining on track stables at the Brighton Training Centre.
Both drivers will have their talents on show at the 6-race card in Hobart on Friday night that kicks off at 16:56.
In Launceston on Sunday evening talented six-year-old Ryley Major will be looking to make it a double in the Launceston Pacing Club’s two premier sprint races.
The Rohan Hillier-trained and driven pacer won the Launceston Mile four starts ago where he showed brilliant gate speed to lead from barrier seven and recorded a mile rate of 1m 56.7s for the 1680-metre journey on a rain-effected track. The other premier sprint race in Launceston is this Sunday’s $12,000 Bevan Lee’s Butchery Golden Mile.
The gelded son of Art Major has a best winning mile rate of 1m 54.6s which he recorded at Melton five starts ago, and he bounced back into the winner's circle in the Degree C Quality last start which is the premier sprint race at the Devonport Showgrounds.
He looks extremely well placed on Sunday night to record his fifth win of the season.
The last horse to win the Launceston Mile - Golden Mile double was Greysteel in 2013, this year’s Golden Mile is race six on the card and is set down for 19:39 with the opening race scheduled to start at 17:04.
Interstate this weekend we see;
Menangle - Saturday night
Race 7 Horse 7 Rykov Leis - Tasbred and owned.
Melton - Saturday night
Race 2 Horse 9 No Apachemee - Tasmanian owned,
Race 3 Horse 9 War Dan Delight - part-owned by Tasmanian interest and
Race 5 Horse 11 Isaac - Tasmanian owned.
