Two meetings remain for the 2017-2018 season and they will be both held in Hobart with racing later this afternoon and again on Friday.
Todd Rattray leads the state drivers’ premiership on 87 wins from Ricky Duggan on 77 and Rohan Hillier with 76 victories for the season.
As for the trainers’ title, Ben Yole has 117 wins and is a clear leader from Todd Rattray on 71 and Juanita McKenzie in third sport on 32.
The Stars
Illegal Immigrant – top win by this Troy Hillier-trained and driven pacer in the C4 to C6 Pace in Launceston on Friday night when he came from last to notch up his sixth Australian win in a slick mile rate of 1min 57sec for 2200 metres. The gelded son of American Ideal looks set to rise through to the free-for-all ranks and be competitive in many of our feature races next season.
Ima Ginger Rogers – proved she’s on track for a number of country cup races leading all the way to win a C3 and better standing start race over the 1680-metre journey. Admittedly it is uncommon to see a standing start race over the sprint trip but the Steven Davis-trained mare broke the track record that was jointly shared by star pacer Fleet Express and Scooterwillrev.
Mornings – handy all the way winner of the Cliff Robins Memorial. It was the first Tasmanian start for the Dawn Ofa New Day filly who had recently joined the Ben Yole stable and raced up to her good trial win in Hobart five days prior.
Art Frenzy – nothing went to plan for this Craig Van Dongden-trained and Mark Yole-driven pacer who struck the sulky wheels during the race causing the gelding to over race, making Mark Yole’s job harder was the fact that the connection strap for the off side hopples broke during the event which shows Yole’s skill to get the pacer over the line first in 1min 57.8sec, which made the win more impressive.
Tisu Bombbelle – the five-year-old mare broke through for her first win of the season and kicked off a big weekend for driver Gareth Rattray and trainer Melissa Maine. The Latrobe based duo announced their engagement on Sunday via social media.
Multiple Winners
Launceston – Friday
Ricky Duggan – driving treble; Ima Ginger Rogers, Smilin Geoff and All The Way Mae.
Mark Yole – driving double; Mornings and Art Frenzy.
Ben Yole – training double; Mornings and Giant Steps.
Marc Butler– training double; Western Glory and Adele Said.
Calculated Sectional Standouts
Quickest last halves (800m) from last week’s action in Launceston on Friday night.
Taurisi 55.54s, Star Chamber 55.95s, Alaphilippe 56.21s, Destreos 56.29s and Rocknrollhighlight 56.48s.
A total of 26 starters broke 58.00-seconds for their last half mile and you can view sectionals from every runner at the meeting and all Tasmanian Sectional Data by clicking here.
Tasracing Official Price
Launceston
Hit’s: Art Frenzy $11 into $4.80, El Jays Monet $10 into $4.80 and Ima Ginger Rogers $4.80 into $4.20.
Defied The Drift: Mornings $2.70 out to $3.40, Tisu Bombelle $3.00 out to $3.60 and Taurisi $3.50 out to $4.00.
Missed: Destreos $26 in to $16 and Karalta Kruise $26 in to $19.
Trial File
Carrick Park on Saturday morning.
The first trial was won by Timely Soveregin who showed good standing start manners to lead from out side of the front row in an overall time of 2mins 49.8sec. The first half of the last mile was recorded in 65.7secs with the last two quarters being recorded in 30.1s and 28.7s. Timely Sovereign won by four metres over Olivers Mate, who recovered quickly after galloping out in a mile rate of 2mins 7.2sec.
Trial two was a combined two and three-year-old event over 2150-metres and Scottsdale trainer Grahame Hayes continued the north-eastern themer of the morning when his unraced Four Starzz Shark filly, Lille, showed a good turn of speed in the home straight to pick up the leader Selfrighteousboy by three metres. It was a slow early tempo with the first half of the last mile recorded in 70.3secs before speeding up during the final two quarters in 30.2s and 29.9. The mile rate was recorded in 2mins 13.4 sec.
The final trial only seen the two starters with the Troy Hillier trained and driven Four Ex Dan rolling straight to the early lead with Ready To Fire electing to take the trail. It was Ready To Fire and driver Mark Yole having to much speed in the home straight to win by two metres with the last mile being run in quarters of 32.2s, 31.2s, 30.4s and 30.1s.
Week Ahead
It’s all happening in Hobart this week with racing being held both tonight and again on Friday evening.
Tonight’s card is a restricted class meeting that sees all races carrying the conditions for horses that have won less than $3,000 in their last three starts prior to acceptance time which means a number of starters have been finishing at the top end of their most recent starts.
Two pacers that have been placed in their last two starts are Major Callum and Rocknrollhighlight who clash in the R6 to R9 Pace.
Major Callum finished second to The Aussie in a strong C4 and better standing start event in Hobart two starts ago before finishing less than two-metres behind Smilin Geoff in Launceston on Friday.
The Brooke Hammond trained gelding has had 48-starts on the Hobart circuit for three wins and 20 placings.
Rocknrollhighlight is one of many starters on the programme and has been placed in strong races at her most recent starts including a second to Usain Jolt in Hobart two starts ago before finishing third in a C7 and better Discretionary in Launceston at her most recent effort.
The first of seven races tonight kicks off at 17:15 with all races to be shown on Sky Racing 2 and Tasracing’s Live Stream Service.
The Tasmanian Pacing Club also races again on Friday night where Laredo Torpedo steps out for the first time since joining the Juanita McKenzie stable when he lines up in race three, a strong C1 or better standing start event.
The only time we have seen the Bettors Delight gelding raced in the state was when he finished third behind Scooterwillrev and Harjeet in the 2017 Tasmanian Derby.
Laredo Topedo’s most recent racing has been in New South Wales including being defeated a head two starts ago at a Tuesday meeting at Menangle in a slick 1min 52.9sec
The action in Hobart kicks off with a competitive two-year-old event at 16:59 with all races to be telecast on Sky Racing 2 and Tasracing ‘s Live Stream.
Interstate this week at Metropolitan venues across Australia we see;
Gloucester Park – Friday night
Melton – Saturday night
- Race 1 Horse 7 Offthetopofmyhead,
- Race 5 Horse 6 Resurgent Spirit and Horse 7 The Bettormack,
- Race 10 Horse 4 Sultan Fella.
Albion Park – Saturday night
- Race 1 Horse 2 El Major,
- Race 4 Horse 8 Jerrys Jet,
- Race 5 Horse 6 Fioki.
