Less than 18 months since his first race drive, 17-year-old Brodie Davis wrote his name into the record books as the youngest driver to win the Launceston Pacing Club’s signature race, the $75,00 Ladbrokes Easter Cup when he partnered $51 chance, The Shallows, to victory in the 108th running of the race.
Saturday night’s capacity 14-horse field was well spread out for the majority of the race as Cool Water Paddy bowled along in the lead, running a lead time of 80.5s, before recording the final mile in quarters of 30.1s, 29.9s, 29.6s and 29.3s.
Davis eased The Shallows one away from the inside, turning for home, where the eight-year-old gelded son of Shadyshark Hanover dashed away for an 8.4m win over Star Major ($1.75 fav) with Messerati ($101) a further 4.9m away third.
The mile rate of 1:58.9s was a new race record, breaking the previous record held by My Lightning Blue in 1988 when the race was run as a 2100m mobile start event.
“It’s a very big thrill,” said Davis, who became the youngest reinsman to win the race, breaking the previous record held by South Australia’s Bill Shinn who won the 1935 Cup aboard Lulu’s Gold.
“We got away good and had to do a little bit of work to try and hold them out for the first 200m, and then I was able to sit on the back of Cool Water Paddy for most of the race.
“I thought near the 600m I was going to be right in it, as Gareth (Rattray on Star Major) was on my outside and he was asking that horse after having to do a lot of work early with the times that we ran, and once we got out into to clear running turning for home, I knew it was going to take a good one to catch us,” explained the driver.
Trainer Heath Woods asked Brodie to drive the pacer on Tuesday, with Woods electing to drive fifth placegetter Stepping Stones, whom he also trains.
Davis is a graduate of Tasracing’s Mini Trots program and is following a strong family tradition, which includes his great-great-uncle Stan Leedham who trained and drove 1974 Easter Cup winner Maroubra Star.
“I hope to go back to Melbourne. Dad has a lot of horses which makes it a bit hard to go at the moment, but time will tell,” said the driver, who recently spent a week in Victoria working with Greg Sugars and Jess Tubbs as part of an Encouragement Award funded by the Launceston and Carrick Park Pacing Clubs.
The win completed the state’s biggest feature race double, the Tasmania Cup—Easter Cup for The Shallows.
He was promoted to first in the 2021 Tasmania Cup after the result of a protest, which was dismissed on the night before being overturned five weeks after the race.
The last horse to win the two races was Motu Crusader who won the 2014 Easter Cup and then the 2012 & 2013 Tasmania Cup.
Trainer Heath Woods worked as a track attendant at the Hobart Showgrounds before commencing his training and driving career. He walked away from the sport in the 2007/08 season.
“I spent those early years just going around happy to win races and watching others going around in the big races, thinking I would never get one good enough to be in them.
“I stepped away (in 07/08) with a few other things on the go and always thought I wouldn’t mind getting another one down the track.
“Year after year, nothing ever happened. Then, my son (Aaron) had a change in work circumstances, and he suggested we should look at getting one. We spent six months browsing and looking at classifieds, and this bloke popped up as an unbroken 2YO for not a lot of money,” the trainer said.
