In Brief
- Rattray to rocket up Drivers Premiership table.
- North Star Lad aiming for hat-trick.
- Elect To Go to have first try from stand.
Ten-time leading Tasmanian reinsman Gareth Rattray has had a slower start to the season than he is accustomed to.
Gareth currently sits eighth on the 2018/19 Premiership table on seven wins, 10 off the lead set by Mark Yole, but that could all change at tonight’s Devonport Harness Racing Club meeting.
Gareth has a drive in all six races on the card including leading hopes Tisu Bombbelle, North Star Lad, Elect to Go and Safari Oakey.
The Tim Maine trained Tisu Bombbelle will start from gate two on front line with the scratching of the emergency in race one, the Maxfield Drilling Pace over the sprint trip of 1930 metres.
“She’s got a good draw tonight but it’s still going to be hard to cross Swap Me, I’d say James (Austin) will be keen to hold the top and if he does he’ s going to be hard to get over the top of,” said Gareth.
“Tisu Bombbelle ran a solid third to Rattlenhum at her last run on the track when Try McDonald drove her in the Youngbloods Series and I will be planning on taking a forward position.”
North Star Lad, trained at Northdown by Geoff Smith, has returned from a four length spell in top condition winning the first two races of his five-year-old season.
“Geoff”s brought him back bigger and stronger, his two wins have been impressive both by convincing margins, he won at Devonport over Our Wonder Woman by seven metres which then went on and won in Launceston in good style, ” said the master reinsman.
“North Star Lad showed the win wasn’t a flash in the pan by running down Laconic Jamane in Launceston last week, I’ll be looking to get a cart into the race at some stage and he will be hard to hold out.”
Juanita McKenzie fresh from preparing Remember Joe for victory in Hobart on Friday night has Elect To Go in the third race the Collins Homes Pace.
“Elect To Go is a six-year-old mare, she’s had 58 runs in her career and this will be her first start from the stand and her first look at the Devonport track so there are a few unknowns, on the plus side she ran a nice second to Kvitova Leis in the Mother Of Pearl last week in Launceston when she went around at huge odds ($76) after sitting outside the leader and battled on courageously.” said Gareth.
“Kare MacLeod’s Safari Oakey (pictured) in race five is my other top chance, she’s come with the pole over the 1930 metres so this could be her best chance to break the ice, she was midfield first up so she will have derived improvement from the outing.”
Tonight’s compact DHRC meeting, commencing at 17.57pm, may be viewed via the live stream service at tasracing.com.au
