The four-year-old Sires’ Stakes series kicks off on Friday afternoon in Devonport with heats of the Maxfield Drilling Raider Stakes when star pacer Harjeet will step out for the first time since winning the Group 2 Easter Cup. A prelude of the Collins Homes Granny Smith will also run on an exciting card of racing.
Last week there were many highlights including Paul Hill driving his 500th winner on Friday night in Hobart and in Launceston on Sunday three of the eight winners recorded a hat-trick of wins.
It was remiss of me last week to leave out the passing of Stan Leedham. Leedham was best known as being a part-owner of 1966 Inter Dominion winner Chamfer Star, he also drove him to victory in the 1962 Westbury Cup. Leedham also drove Maroubra Star in the 1974 Easter Cup.
The Stars
Paul Hill – for the 500th time in his career he greeted the judge first in the sulky when Thirlstane King scored in Hobart. In the proceeding race Hill trained Feelin Dusty to victory to give him a race to race double. One thing is for sure the way Hill is driving and his stable is performing we will see “Smiley” in the winners’ circle for many years to come.
Kent Rattray and John Walters – combined to bookend the Launceston fixture with Ideal Karalta and Sunny Sanz. Rattray couldn’t enjoy the celebrations to hard as the trainer has a number of broken ribs following a track work accident.
Gareth Rattray – proved again why he is already in the Tasmanian Harness Racing Hall of Fame with three terrific winning drives across the weekend.
Mister Magic Man, Dufrense and Sunny Sanz – all three horses made it a hat-trick of wins in Launceston on Sunday.
Matt Cooper – made it a weekend driving double including a win with his tough mare Call Her Julie.
Multiple Winners
Hobart – Friday
Ben Yole – training treble; No Apachemee, Rocknroll Highlight and Jeans Mattjesty.
Rohan Hadley – driving double; No Apachemee and Jeans Mattjesty .
Paul Hill – double; drove Thirlstane King and trained Feelin Dusty.
Launceston – Sunday
Kent Rattray – training double; Ideal Karalta and Sunny Sanz.
John Walters – driving double; Ideal Karalta and Sunny Sanz.
Gareth Rattray – driving double; Mister Magic Man and Svensson.
Rohan Hillier – driving double; Offthetopofmyhead and Dufrense.
Calculated Sectional Standouts
Quickest last halves (800m) from last week’s action in Hobart on Friday.
Rocknrollhighlight 57.50, Smilin Geoff 57.60, The Dip 57.86, Jakes A Joy 58.04 and Jaccka Len 58.11.
And from Sunday night in Launceston on Sunday.
Stagger Lee 57.00, Isaac 57.01, No Spring Secrets 57.15, Chirac 57.22 and Buster William 57.30.
Tasracing Official Price
Hobart
Hit’s: Thirlstane King $4.20 into $3.00, Damitsam $12 into $10
Defied The Drift: Rocknrollhighlight $5.00 out to $6.00, Abs Boy $8.50 out to $10
Missed: Giuliani $20 into $15
Launceston
Hit: Ideal Karalta $4.00 into $3.70
Defied The Drift: Call Her Julie $5.50 out to $7.50, Offthetopofmyhead $1.65 out to $2.00
Missed: Beam Me Up Chopper $5 into $4.60, No Apachemee $18 into $13, Ima Ginger Rogers $4.80 in $3.90
Black Booker
Mister Last
This Live Or Die gelding was having his first race start in Launceston on Sunday evening. Driver Gareth Rattray positioned the Shelley Barnes trained three-year-old in the one-out one-back trail soon after the start of the race. When approaching the 400-metre mark Mister Last commended to improve out three and four wide on the track but the horse broke stride and galloped for approximately a hundred metres. Mister Last was able to pick himself up and was doing his best work late and is one to keep an eye out for in a 3C0 event in the near future.
Watch the replay here.
Trial File
Devonport – Monday
The Ben Yole trained Aunty Rita recorded the quickest mile rate of the night when winning her trial in 2min 4.6secs. Settling in third position driver Mark Yole was able to pick up the leader North Star Lad to win by three metres.
Rubys Bad Boy (2:10.9), Maybe Jack (2:07.2) and Guesstamate (2:07.1).
Hobart – Monday
Queens Advocate warmed up for her Interstate mission at Melton this Saturday night with a 10-metre trial victory in Hobart on Monday night. Driven by Rodney Ashwood, Queens Advocate settled last in the four hose trial where she was too strong for Jetcraft in a mile rate of 2min 5.7secs.
Queens Advocate is engaged in race 11 at Melton on Saturday that is due to jump at 22:30.
Other winners on Monday night in Hobart included; Betterbsweet (2:09.3), Spoilt0 Sport (2:06.0), Origin Tara (2:08.8) and Streitkid (2:05.9).
Week Ahead
The Devonport Harness Racing Club stage a terrific nine-event program on Friday afternoon. Exciting four-year-old Harjeet will return to the track for the first time since winning the Easter Cup when he lines up in heat one of the Maxfield Drilling Raider Stakes where he will start a short price favourite.
Race two of the day is a prelude of the Collins Homes Granny Smith where the early favourite for the final, Resurgent Dream will have to overcome outside of the second row draw in the ten horse field.
Other feature races on the programme include the $12,000 C.U.B Belmont for the two-year-olds, $12,000 Degree C Quality and the $12,000 Luxbet Sheffield Cup.
The first of nine races is set to jump at 16:29.
The Mark Reggett trained Dasher Houli will be looking to bounce back into the winners stall in Hobart on Sunday night. The Stonebridge Regal gelding claimed through the grades when he won five races in a row before being inconvenienced at the 600-metre mark at his most recent start.
The seven-race programme on Sunday commences at 17:34.
