Tasmanian Harness Highlights - Thursday 14 December

14 December 2017 | Duncan Dornauf
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The lead up to the Group 2 Triple M Tasmania Cup continued in Hobart last Sunday evening with seven of the nine races being heats into $10,000 finals that will be staged on Cup Night December 22.

Destreos edged closer to a century of wins when he bought his 98th victory in the free-for-all. The Ken Rattray trained star is on track to become the third pacer in Australia to chalk up a century of wins.

Last week also saw major development for the states breeding industry when the staff of the Longford Equine Clinic in conjunction with Clearview Stud and the Goulburn Valley Equine Hospital confirming that the state’s first embryo transfer has passed the 14 day pregnancy test.

This now means that local breeders no longer have to send their mare across Bass Strait as the embryo can now be sent interstate to be transferred into the recipient mare.

This week the racing action returns to Launceston with a nine race program on Sunday afternoon. Like last week, a number of races on the program are heats into finals on Triple M Tasmania Cup night.

The Stars

Brooke Hammond – had a 100% strike rate with her team of horses across the weekend. Hammond’s big weekend commenced with a double in Burnie on Friday with Hot Shot Bonnie and Parwill before making the long trek from her Bridport base to Hobart on Sunday with Vinnie Toretto to make it three wins for the weekend.

Gareth Rattray – the hall of fame reinsman demonstrated his talent across the weekend in the sulky with a driving double at both Burnie and Hobart. He is now only three wins behind in the state’s drivers’ premiership for season 2017/18.

Destreos – the 14-year-old gelding gained another step towards his century of wins when he knocked up his 98th victory in the Tasmania Cup Prelude. Listen to what his trainer Ken Rattray had to say about the win on RadioTAB on Wednesday morning here.

Matthew Howlett – will represent the state at the Australasian Young Drivers Series in Queensland this week, he left for the series inform with a copy book drive aboard Rockin An Runnin in Hobart. Howlett has been backed in from $26 into $4.50 favourite to be crowned the winner of the Australian Young Drivers Championship. Follow his drives during the series here.

 

Multiple winners

Burnie – Friday
Gareth Rattray, driving double; Hot Shot Bonnie and Parwill
Brooke Hammond, training double; Hot Shot Bonnie and Parwill
Ben Yole, training double; Carlas Heaven and Washies Chance

Hobart – Sunday
Gareth Rattray, driving double; Destreos and Vinnie Toretto
Dylan Ford, driving double; Courageous Jamane and Bigsie Neptune
Juanita McKenzie, training double; The Aussie and Inner Light
Rodney Ashwood, driving double; The Aussie and Inner Light

Calculated Sectional Standouts

Quickest last halves (800m) from last week’s action in Hobart on Sunday.


Ready To Fire 56.62, Vouvray Beach 57.21, Ideal Bliss 57.40, Castor Troy 57.55 and Sign Of A Tyne 57.57.

View all Tasmanian sectional data here.

Tasracing Official Price

Burnie
Drift: Mersey Delight $5.50 out to $9.00
Missed: Timely Sovereign (5th) 8.50 into $7.00

Hobart
Hit: Vinnie Toretto $21 into $17
Drift: Rockin An Runnin $7.50 out to $10
Missed: Lord Stark (3rd) $41 into $18

Black Booker

Castor Troy
His trainer-driver Ray Pullen went forward early to find a position, but luck wasn’t on Pullen’s side so he elected to restrain back to second last position of the field. Pullen elected to go three-wide with 900 metres to travel and slowly worked his way forward down the back straight. The gelded son of Aces N Sevens didn’t look to handle the final corner too well and lost a few metres. Castor Troy was starting to make up ground when he balanced up in the home straight before copping a check with 100 metres to go. The Tasracing Calculated sectionals recorded his last half mile in 57.55 and I expect him to bounce back in the winner’s circle for the third time this season soon.

Watch the replay here.

Trial File

Carrick Park on Monday
Eight trials were held on Monday evening with the quickest mile rate of the night being recorded in trial seven for C1-C2 assessed pacers where the Ron Mansfield-trained Guesstamate showed good gate speed from the mobile to lead all the way to defeat Nances Delight and Williamtell in a mile rate of 2:02.3.

The first two-year-old at the venue for the season was also conducted where Betterthancheddar colt Dusty Martini (Rohan Hillier) was able to grab the early leader Sunny Sanz in the shadows of the post to win by a half head with 6.75 metres back to Karalta Moondance. The mile rate for the 1670 metre trial was 2:07.2.

Week Ahead

Sunday afternoon racing returns to the Luxbet Racing Centre in Launceston with a strong nine-event program.

Destreos will be chasing his 99th career victory in the Bevan Lees Butchery Discretionary over 2200m. In-form driver Gareth Rattray will again take the reins on ‘Dexter’ who will start off a 30-metre handicap.

The second meeting of the King Island Racing Club season will be held on Saturday afternoon. The meeting is a non-tab fixture and the replays from the meeting will be available at tasracing.com.au

tasracing.com.au for replays sectionals and formguide

 

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