It was another great weekend of harness racing in Tasmania, we just had trouble seeing it.
Thick fog descended on both the Hobart and Launceston meetings after race two leaving spectators and viewers on both Tasracing’s Live Stream and Sky Racing with limited vision.
It was a credit to all officials and participants to get through both race meetings.
Last week we touched on the success of Ignatius winning a Group 1 race at Menangle but the Tasbred flag has also been flying overseas.
Shezallapples, bred by the late Rick Hinds and his wife Naomi, was sold to the United States earlier this year where she has won three of her seven starts since crossing the Pacific Ocean, including a win on Tuesday at Yonkers in New York where she raced outside the leader over the final lap to win in a time of 1m 54.1s.
Closer to home this week we have the Group 2 Evicus and Dandy Patch Finals in Hobart while Launceston will stage a seven-race card on Friday evening.
The Stars
Semowillrev - was first up for 13 months after being sidelined due to a contraction tendon injury, the Craig Hayes-trained and driven pacer didn’t let the favourite punters down when he led all the way to win his eighth race on Sunday night.
Rock The Casbolt - was another winner on the Launceston card who has recently returned to the track after being sidelined for a year. The Deborah Williams-trained gelding was operated on last year, undergoing colic surgery, and he rewarded his owners and trainer for their perseverance with a narrow victory.
Rock The Casbolt after a life-saving operation conducted by the Longford Equine Clinic last year
Cardinal Ringo - continued his good recent form when he won his third race in his last four outings in Launceston on Sunday. He was last of the field at the bell and emerged out of the fog at the hundred-metre mark in front of his rivals.
Heath Woods - claimed his first winner since returning to the industry after taking an extended break when The Shallows recorded his first career win in Hobart on Friday.
Colby Sanz and Blame It On Me - both brilliant winners of their respective Sires’ Stakes preludes in Hobart on Friday.
Multiple Winners
Hobart – Friday evening
No trainer or driver recorded multiple wins at the meeting
Launceston – Sunday evening
Ricky Duggan - driving double; Inner Light and Rock The Casbolt.
Ben Yole - training double; Jeans Mattjesty and Shestryingtactics.
Calculated Sectional Standouts
Hobart – Friday evening
Hits: Colby Sanz $2.70 into $2.30, Paint The Wind $9.00 into $7.50 and Popnduke $2.90 into $2.45.
Defied The Drift: Swap Me $.290 out to $.40 and Blame It On Me $1.40 out to $1.70.
Missed: Artarama $41 into $19, Wasonie Snake $11 into $6.00 and Brookwillrock $4.80 into $3.60.
Launceston – Sunday evening
Hits: Inner Light $3.00 into $2.60, Cardinal Ringo $4.00 into $3.20 and Shestryingtactics $41 into $17.
Defied The Drift: Courageous Katee $3.80 out to $5.50 and Jeans Mattjesty $2.80 out to $4.60.
Missed: Karalta Dazzler $15 into $8.00, Guys Bettor Bet $31 into $8.00, Lake Eyre $15 into $9.50 and The Lemondrop Kid $10 into $5.00.
Trial File
Carrick Park - Saturday morning.
It was a foggy morning at Carrick Park for the three trials held on Saturday.
Two-year-old Estelle recorded the quickest winning mile rate of the morning in 2m 8.1s.
The daughter of Courage Under Fire is trained by John Castles and was driven in the trial by his nephew Charlie, who positioned her behind the leader and she proved too quick for the leader Williamlee when they appeared out of the fog at the hundred metre mark to win the trial by a head margin with Art Edition four metres away third in the trial for horses with a national rating of 40 to 54.
Smilin Geoff began well to find the lead within the first lap to win an NR 50 - 94 standing start trial in a mile rate of 2m 11.0s while the remaining trial, was won by Ten Crystals who defeated Hezbuyindiamonds in a mile rate of 2m 10.1s for those with a national rating of 59 -83.
Week Ahead
Launceston is the venue for Friday night harness racing with a seven-event card.
Race five, a National Rating of 60 or better handicap is the fast class race of the night where Swap Me will be looking to make it back to back wins in the 2200 metre event.
The last start Hobart winner will start off the ten-metre row courtesy of the five-point concession claim form driver Taylor Ford.
The Launceston card will be live streamed at tasracing.com.au and races one to four will be televised on Sky Racing 1 with the remainder of the action on Sky Racing 2.
Sunday night in Hobart the finals of the Evicus and Dandy Patch will be held.
Tab.com.au released their market yesterday afternoon with prelude winner Blame It On Me as the $1.60 favourite in the Group 2 Evicus over Vonns Angel who firmed from $5.00 into $3.60 in the first few hours of betting. Other runners in single figures are; Brookwillrock at $4.60 and Tilly Max at $7.50.
In the Dandy Patch the Todd Rattray trained Kohanah opened the $1.15 favourite with prelude winner Colby Sanz being the only other runner in single figures who was supported in the first few hours of betting from $6.00 into $4.80.
The Hobart card features a hosted Live Stream service and will also be televised on Sky Racing 1.
Interstate this week at metropolitan venues we see Scooterwillrev step out in New South Wales for the first time while the Granny Smith winner Ideal Bliss lines up in a listed race in Brisbane.
Menangle - Saturday night
Race 1 Horse 1 Scooterwillrev - Tasmanian owned.
Melton - Saturday night
Race 5 Horse 11 Manganello - Tasbred.
Albion Park - Saturday night
Race 4 (Listed Race) Horse 9 Ideal Bliss - Tasbred and owned.
