It’s Doug Martin Danbury Park Cup night in Launceston this evening with the meeting also featuring the Shirley Martin Mother Of Pearl.
Doug’s contribution to the Tasmanian harness racing were recognised when awarded the Edgar Tatlow Medal in 2001.
One of the last horses Doug trained was Going South, who was driven on a regular basis by Shelley Barnes, and when Martin retired from training he passed his racing colours of red with black and white hooped sleeves onto Barnes who has chances in tonight’s two feature races carrying the colours.
First run in 1921, the Danbury Park Cup is one of the states most time-honoured features on the Tasmanian harness racing calendar and tonights $12,000 edition has once again attracted an even field.
Barnes will be represented with Yatsenyuk Leis who has won two out of his last three starts.
“He is racing very well and this will be a step up in class for him,” said Barnes.
“It is hard to find suitable races for him now, so we thought we would have a crack at this race and see how he measures up from there,” added the Sassafras based trainer.
Tonight’s event will be the first standing start contest for the gelded son of Shadow Play after qualifying from a standing start at the Carrick Park trials on Monday night.
“He was not crash hot away, Rohan (Hadley) said that he was fighting the lugging pole at the start, so we are going to leave that off him on Sunday night and hopefully that helps him a bit,” explained Barnes.
Also, tonight will be the second time that Yatsenyuk Leis will have raced beyond 2297-metres in his career. His only start over a distance further was when third to Izaha in the Group 2 Raider Stakes in Devonport on 22 June.
“He ran a really good race in the Raider Stakes in Devonport where he was in on the fence which doesn’t suit him and he ran the distance out good on that occasion,” said the trainer.
“If he ever puts his mind to it I think he would be a really good horse but I’m starting to think that will never happen,” added Barnes.
Punters have installed the two 20-metre handicap runners at the top of the market with Illegal Immigrant at $2.50 over Izaha at $4.40 with Sea Double Ugrant ($7.00) and Yatsenyuk Leis ($8.50) as the only other runners in single figures for the event that is scheduled to start at 21:09.
Volkova Leis will line up in the Mother Of Pearl after a strong trial win at Carrick Park on Monday after a disappointing effort in Launceston on 20 October.
“I was disappointed with his run last start so we gave her a bit of a let-up, and I thought she went really well in her trial,” said Barnes.
The most recent start for the daughter of Bettors Delight was in a national rating 60 to 64 event and tonight’s event will be a slight rise in class to a rating 51 to 78 event.
“I knew that the race was going to be a little bit harder for her but you only get one go at these mares races, she certainly won’t disgrace herself that’s for sure,” explained the trainer.
Post tonight’s race Volkova Leis will be looking at a career off the track as a broodmare.
The Rohan Hillier trained and driven Sheza Bettormak opened up favourite at $2.60 over Western Glory at $3.75.
Tonight’s card will be televised on Sky Racing 1 and on TasracingTV’s Live Stream with the first of eight races set down for the later start of 18:19.
