The Todd Rattray trained duo Devendra and Pachacuti look set to continue their mission to the Victoria Cup and Inter Dominion after a strong performance in the fast class event in Hobart last Friday evening.
Ben Yole and Robert Walters teamed up for a training and driving double with Liv Lavish and Hear The Call.
This week Destreos the winner of 96 races will join the Tasmanian free-for-all ranks when he lines up in the sixth race in Launceston this Sunday evening.
The Stars
Barrie Rattray – His son Todd has done a great job training the trifecta in the event but the brilliant front-running drive from Barrie aboard Devendra has slipped under the raider with the win.
Matthew Cooper – Oatlands based trainer-driver has Call Her Julie flying at present with another brilliant performance in Hobart on Friday.
Marc Butler – Great training performance from first starter Peaceful Thomas who won easily by 30-metres.
Henry Pullen – Produced The Badlands first up from a three-month spell to win on Friday.
Black Booker
Taurisi
He is only assessed as a C5 pacer but there was a lot to like about his first-up effort in Hobart last week when he took on some of the state’s best pacers. Driver Ricky Duggan positioned the gelded son of Always A Virgin four back along the pegs and was only 14 metres behind the winner of the race.
The Tasracing Calculated sectionals recorded Taurisi running his last half mile in 57.36secs and he is definitely a horse to keep an eye on when he races back in his own grade.
Watch the replay here.
Calculated Sectional Standouts
Quickest last halves (800m) from last week’s action in Hobart on Friday.
Roger Ramjet 57.08, Pachacuti 57.13, Devendra 57.30. Outside of race three; Peaceful Thomas 58.54, War Chest 58.63 and Washies Chance 58.63.
View all sectional data here.
Trial File
Three trials were held at Carrick Park where the Mark Yole trained and driven Black Ops recorded the quickest time of the morning when recording a mile rate of 2:06.8 when winning a C0/1 trial. Yole also prepared the winner of the fast class trial of the morning with Fernco Bobby G who recorded a 2:08.7 mile rate. The other trial was won by Albayzin who won by 25-metres and ran his last half mile in 63.5.
Week Ahead
This week one of Australia’s most well-known pacers, Destreos, will have his first Tasmanian start, the winner of 96 races looks poised to become only the third horse in Australian harness racing history to chalk up 100 career wins. The most recent pacer to win over 100 races was Cane Smoke who retired from racing in 1991.
Kelli Dawson who has driven the 14-year-old gelding to 51 victories will fly to Launceston this Sunday to take up the reins again. Dawson, who had her first race drive in September 2006 has won in excess of 360 races in her home state.
Destreos has had 434 career starts and only 23 of them have been in Standing Start races and this Sunday will be the first time since August, 2, 2014 that he has competed in a standing start event.
