Eight-year-old gelding Cool Water Paddy ($7) recorded his 20th career win when leading all the way in the More Confidence Consulting Pace (2090m) in Hobart on Sunday night.
Driver Rodney Ashwood got the Juanita McKenzie-trained pacer away well to lead in the standing start event. He bowled along the final mile in quarters of 31.6s, 30.3s, 27.8s, and 28.9s, scoring by 1m over Magician ($1.40), who worked forward in the middle stages of the race from his 10m handicap. The Shallows ($8.50) finished a further 5.4m away third.
The mile rate of 1:59.7s was one second outside the track record of 1:58.7s held by Resurgent Spirit.
Ashwood acknowledged the pacers brilliant standing start manners and the middle-distance trip as a big advantage for Sunday’s race.
“He was pretty good over the 2090m. His manners helped him to win the race. If you don’t go away, you have no hope. He got home (his last half mile) in 56.7s, so Toddy (Rattray, driver of Magician) would have to go 54 to 55s to beat me.
“If it were over 2579m, I would have handed up, but the different distance makes it a different type of race,” said Ashwood.
Ashwood had success later in the night when he trained Sharkattack ($2.50 eq fav) to victory in the Nutrien Sprint Lane Pace (1609m).
From barrier three, Ricky Duggan positioned the pacer three-back on the pylons before racing first-over for the final 900m of the race. Duggan went for home near the 300m, and the gelding responded to score by 6.1m over We Salute You ($2.50 eq fav) and Fleetwood Rock ($6) in 1:58.5s.
The Tasmanian Trotting Club-owned pacer has now won 10 races, eight of which have come since it was purchased from Victoria.
“He has done a real good job.
“We will give him another run here in Tassie, and then we will think about maybe going to Melton with him to look at the non-metropolitan win races or whatever is on that will suit him. It’s not locked in, but we are thinking about it,” said the trainer.
Training and driving honours were shared at the meeting.
Trainer Craig Hayes and reinsman Gareth Rattray combined to win with Hazewillrev ($1.05 fav) and Oopswillrev ($1.40 fav).
Hannah Van Dongen drove the Wayne Yole-trained pair Botany Bay Warrior ($13) and Velocity Stride ($9) to victory.
