Last Sunday was an eventful night with the Stan Leedham Memorial Launceston Mile producing a great battle between Ryley Major and Harjeet over the concluding stages, with Ryley Major doing enough to win the $12,000 feature.
In Hobart last Friday there were a couple of first wins with Pipers River-based driver Andrew Freeman registering his first win in the sulky, while Bitoscotty recorded the first winner for sire Bitobliss.
Two heats of Northern Tasmania’s premier race, the Dakin Refrigeration Easter Cup, will be staged in Launceston on Friday night, along with the Golden Slipper for the two-year-olds.
The Stars
Rohan Hillier - prepared a training double in Launceston on Sunday evening including Ryley Major, whom he drove to victory in the $12,000 Stan Leedham Memorial Launceston Mile. The gelded son of Art Major recorded a mile rate of 1m 56.6s which was a brilliant time given the strong winds and rain-affected track. Hillier also prepared the first race winner Awayandrideyourself. 18 of Hillier’s last 30 starters on the Launceston track have been able to take home the first prize money cheque and no doubt the Beauty Point trainer will be hoping that strike rate can continue on the eve of the Easter Cup.
Izaha - continued on his path to the Raider Stakes in June at the Devonport Showgrounds when he won his third race of the season. The Roll With Joe entire was well handled by concession reinsman Lachlan Dakin who worked forward to find the lead after the first 600 metres of the race and dictate the race from that point to win by 12.5 metres.
Tisu Spirit - is another Tasbred four-year-old gelding that will be set for the Raider Stakes after he chalked up his first win of the season. The Melissa Maine-trained pacer was stepping out for only the third time this season with her fiancé Gareth Rattray in the sulky.
Miss Condoleezza - recorded a weekend double after she won in Hobart on Friday evening and again in Launceston on Sunday. On both occasions she was able to lead all the way to score with Samantha Gangell driving her to victory on Friday and her life partner Troy McDonald was in the sulky for Sunday’s win. Miss Condoleezza has now had 25 starts this season for four wins and three placings.
Andrew Freeman - it has taken a while but the 20-year-old concession driver was able to notch up his first win on the Ben Yole-trained Hez The One in Hobart on Friday. It was the 33rd race drive for Freeman who had to put his race day ambitions on hold just prior to gaining his license to drive in trials after a track work accident caused him to have 12 months off the scene when he ruptured his ankle and opened up his knee. Andrew is the son of trainer Gary Freeman.
Bitoscotty - caused a minor upset when he won the last race in Hobart which was for the two-year-olds. Driver Paul Hill was keen to hold the lead which proved to be the winning move as the gelding was able to hold off the short-price favourite Watchmylips by a neck. Bitoscotty is the first horse to race by multiple Group 2 winner Bitobliss. There is no doubt trainer Campbell Watt and his wife Pam would have celebrated back at their Mt Seymour base.
Multiple Winners
Hobart – Friday evening
Bianca Heenan - training double; Statement Please and Drifting Away.
Ben Yole - training quartet; Hez The One, Im Full Tilt, Miss Condoleezza and Black Ops.
Samantha Gangell - driving double; Im Full Tilt and Miss Condoleezza
Launceston – Sunday evening
Rohan Hillier - training double; Awayandrideyourself and Ryley Major.
Ben Yole - training treble; Miss Condoleezza, Tarleton Riley and Karalta Dazzler.
Calculated Sectional Standouts
Quickest last halves (800m) from last week’s action.
Hobart – Friday evening
Good Feelings 57.27s, North Star Lad 57.45, Black Ops 57.80s, Ifbutzandmaybes 57.81s and Hez The One 57.81s.
Launceston – Sunday evening
Awayandrideyourself 56.43s, Resurgent Storm 56.93s, Cool Water Paddy 57.07s, Northview Dave 57.22s and Dusty Martini 57.25s.
View all available Tasmanian Sectional Data by clicking here.
Tasracing Official Price
Hobart – Friday evening
Hits: La Toiso Dor $17 into $12, Statement Please $2.50 into $1.95 and Miss Condoleezza $3.00 into $2.30.
Defied The Drift: Hez The One $4.40 out to $5.50, Drifting Away $3.00 out to $3.60, Black Ops $2.10 out to $2.45 and Bitoscotty $8.50 out to $13.
Missed: Navua Pixie $13 into $9.00, Ready To Fire $13 into $7.00, Chasing Cheetahs $8.00 into $5.50, Give Me The Night $12 into $5.50 and Good Feelings $5.00 into $3.80.
Launceston– Sunday evening
Hits: Western Glory $2.50 into $1.85, Izaha $2.50 into $1.85 and Tarleton Riley $26 into $15.
Defied The Drift: Awayandrideyourself $3.50 out to $4.20, Miss Condoleezza $26 out to $51, Tisu Spirit $2.70 out to $3.50 and Karalta Dazzler $6.00 out to $6.50.
Missed: Resurgent Storm $4.00 into $3.30, Highview Starzzz $26 into $17, Give Me The Night $20 into $14, Dufrense $2.70 into $1.90, Our Quinn $18 into $11, No Spring Secrets $81 into $41, Mister Lennox $61 into $26, Sheza Bettormak $3.00 into $2.00, El Jays Monday $26 into $12 and Smilin Geoff $2.10 into $1.70.
Trial File
Carrick Park - Saturday morning
Five-year-old Live Or Die mare El Jays Mystery recorded the quickest winning mile rate of the session when she recorded 2m 7.3s for 2150m.
From barrier three driver John Walters took the Dick Eaves-trained pacer to the lead in the C4 and better class trial and she proved too good for All Style Sammy by one metre.
The final second quarter of the trial was run in 29.3s and 28.6s.
Two two-year-old trials were staged with Kadar, who is a half-sister to Bettor Bet Black and Taurisi defeating Kens Chips by one-metre. The mile rate for the 1670-metre trip was 2m 9.6s.
The second two-year-old trial was won by Artyboy Glenwood who won his second trial in a row when he defeated She Will Rocknroll by one metre in a mile rate of 2m 13.5s.
Other winners included Mi Ju Dan who defeated Art Edition by three metres in a mile rate of 2m 10.8s, Sea Sky was a 15-metre winner of a 3C0 to C0 trial in a mile rate of 2m 9.9s.
Menangle (NSW) - Tuesday afternoon
Tasmanian star Ignatius returned to the trial track for the first time since mid February when he led all the way to win a C0 or better trial over 1609m.
Trainer-driver James Rattray allowed the gelded son of Roll With Joe to burn out of the mobile from barrier six and recorded quarters of 28.6s, 29.9s, 28.8s and 26.5s with the time for the mile recorded in 1m 53.8s.
To view a replay of the trial, click here.
Week Ahead
Launceston
The heats of the Dakin Refrigeration Easter Cup will be held at TAB Racing Centre in Launceston on Friday evening.
Heat One is race 2 and sees three main chances with last year's winner Harjeet who has won two Group 3 events in the past year. He was forced to do a little bit of work in the early stages in the Tasmania Cup two starts ago after beginning well from his 30-metre handicap. He contested the Launceston Mile in Launceston on Sunday where he drew the second row and was out three-wide over the final 900 metres, he hit the line well but threw the race away when he shifted out noticeably in the home straight, if he went straight he may well have been able to put his head in front of Ryley Major.
Sccooterwillrev galloped out hopelessly in the Tasmania Cup two starts ago when he was sent out the race favourite. He should step cleaner off the 10-metre handicap. He finished 3rd in the Launceston Mile on Sunday where he was crossed by Ryley Major early and had the gun run on his back before finishing a clear third.
The other winning chance appears to be Franco Tristian, who is a six-year-old gelding from the Gavin Lang stable. He broke his M0 status at Melton four starts ago where he settled back second last in running and was still in that position at the 400-metre mark before flying home in the straight, in what was the drive of the season by Gavin Lang, to get the cash with a 1m 52.9s mile rate. He has been placed in second position his last two outings where he has performed well.
Heat Two is race three on the card and it looks to be a Tasmania vs Victoria clash.
In the Tasmanian corner is Ryley Major who has been awesome since returning from his injury-forced lay off winning all three of his starts this preparation. He led all the way here on Sunday to take out the Launceston Mile in 1:56.7, and that race was run on a rain-affected track and in strong winds. This is his first standing start race and can’t recall seeing him behind the tapes in any trials. We all know the hopes Rohan Hillier has on the horse who has won 13 of his 18 starts.
In the Victorian corner is War Dan who was runner up to Shelby Bromac in the Tasmania Cup two starts ago, he went back to his trainer Dean Braun’s Victorian stable where he was runner up to Duke Of Wellington in the Group 2 Melton plate last time out and he is clearly the main danger here.
Another feature on the Launceston card is the $12,000 Golden Slipper where the Dean Braun-trained Topzavski takes on five locally trained rivals.
Punters are reminded to check their wagering service provider for the fields of races one and five as those races have been redrawn since their release on Tuesday, and punters can catch the action on Sky Racing 2 plus a hosted Live Stream coverage on tasracing.com.au.
Devonport
The Devonport Harness Racing Club will stage the Sunday evening meeting with only six races set down for decision.
Race five, the Sky Racing Pace, is the fast class race of the night with the C5 to C7 pacers doing battle over 2297m.
The Ben Yole-trained Hez The One has drawn outside of the second row as he is a RODM horse and is the winner of three races out of his last four starts. While the Roger Whitmore-trained Resurgent Dream has drawn barrier two on the second row and comes into the race off a last-start second behind Izaha in Launceston.
The first of six races kick off at 17:28 and can be seen on Sky Racing 1 and also on TasracingTV's Live Stream.
Interstate
Interstate this week we see the Hobart and Tasmanian Trotting Cup winner Trumps Golden Boy line up in the Seelite Windows & Doors Mildura Trotters Cup tonight.
The gelded son of Tennotrump is still raced by Bianca Heenan who has sent a small number of horses to the Zac Steenhuis. The Mildura Trotters Cup is set down for 20:45.
Also racing at the Mildura meeting on Thursday night is King Island-owned Stevie Jolt who will contest the opening race.
On Friday night at Melton, we see Tasmanian-owned No Apachemee chase back-to-back wins in the opening race. The winner of seven races this season will start from barrier one in the opening race.
Saturday night at Menangle sees expat Tasmanian trainer James Rattray with a couple of Tasmanian-owned and bred pacers going around including Pachacuti in race one and Rykov Leis in race three.
At Mildura on Saturday we see Tasmanian-owned and bred Resurgent Spirit go around in the Group 2 Tasco Petroleum Mildura Pacing Cup Final, the gelded son of American Ideal scraped through for the final in his heat on Tuesday night when running fifth.
Another pacer who is partly owned by Bianca Heenen that is going around is Braeview Bomber who will line up in the Tenderprint Australia Cup Final, a $25,000 race for C4 to C8 assessed pacers.
