Tasmanian Harness Highlights – Thursday, 26 November

26 November 2020 | Duncan Dornauf for Tasracing
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The Summer of Stars isn’t too far away and we got a perfect entree in Hobart on Sunday night where a small but select field did battle in a Free For All event where Ignatius defeated Ryley Major.

There is a host of feature races over the upcoming months in Tasmania including the heats and final of the $30,000 Tassie Golden Apple in December. Then in January, the state has the $25,000 Hobart Pacing Cup and the $30,000 Devonport Pacing Cup, with some Victorian trainers indicating strong interest for these races.

This week harness racing heads to Devonport where seven harness races and a further seven greyhound races will be run on a dual code meeting on Friday which is a public holiday in the Devonport area, before harness racing heads to Carrick on Sunday for a nine-race program.

The Stars

Ignatius – remains undefeated on the Hobart track after scoring in Sunday night’s open class event. The Todd Rattray-trained pacer was driven by Gareth Rattray who settled outside the leader Ryley Major in the 2090-metre event, with Ignatius proving too tough over the concluding stages in a great battle to keep his unbeaten record on the Hobart track intact.

Ben Yole – extended his lead on the state trainers title after preparing six winners across the weekend. Yole trained four winners in Burnie and two in Hobart, with Jakes A Joy winning at both venues. Yole is now 121 wins clear of his nearest rival on the premiership table for this extended season which ends on 31 December.

Victoria Pass – made it four wins in succession when scoring a 6.8-metre win in Hobart. The gelding has now won five races this season and led home a training quinella for the Zeke Slater stable and was the first leg of a double for Slater who prepared Arakbell to victory later in the night. Sam Gangell drove both horses.

Iylac Beach – the Bianca Heenan-trained two-year-old remains undefeated in two career starts, the most recent victory was an all the way win in the opening race in Hobart on Sunday night and was the first leg of a driving double for Mark Yole.

Ron Eeles – after returning to the industry in recent months after a long break, the Westbury trainer found himself in the winners stall in Burnie on Friday with Kikkimi who took out the feature race, the Liza Strom for the maidens.

Multiple Winners

Burnie – Friday evening
Ben Yole – training quintet; The Lemondrop Kid, Amazing Daisy, Jakes A Joy and Itsadanceoff.

Hobart – Sunday evening
Ben Yole – training double; Punchinello and Jakes A Joy,
Mark Yole – driving double; Iylac Beach and Jakes A Joy,
Zeke Slater – training double; Victoria Pass and Arakbell
Sam Gangell – driving double; Victoria Pass and Arakbell,
Todd Rattray – training double; Bonacci and Ignatius,
Gareth Rattray – driving double; Bonacci and Ignatius.

Calculated Sectional Standouts

Quickest last halves (800m) from last week’s action.
Burnie – Friday evening
Unavailable.

Hobart – Sunday evening
Ignatius 55.72s, Ryley Major 56.04s, and The Shallows 56.12s, Outside of the fast class race; Arakbell 56.98s, Helikaon 57.45s and Rock the Casbolt 57.62s.

View all available Tasmanian Sectional Data by clicking here.

Tasracing Official Price

Burnie – Friday evening
Hit: Amazing Daisy $6.00 into $3.60, Kikkimi $9.00 into $4.20, Itsadanceoff $2.30 into $2.10 and Tisu Spirit $2.80 into $2.15.

Defied the Drift: The Lemondrop Kid $3.60 out to $4.40, Jakes A Joy $4.20 out to $6.00 and Rockandahardplace $4.80 out to $7.50.

Missed: Border Cross $10 into $6.50, Aussie Rock $3.60 into $3.00, Good Feelings $7.00 into $5.50, Christian Major $4.80 into $4.00, Kristal $4.20 into $2.70 and La Toison Dor $17 into $10.

Hobart – Sunday evening
Hit’s: Iylac Beach $4.60 into $3.70, Be Major Threat $6.50 into $4.60 and Arakbell $6.00 into $4.40.

Defied the Drift: Punchinello $14 out to $26, Victoria Pass $3.00 out to $4.40, Jakes A Joy $3.20 out to $3.40 and Ignatius $2.50 out to $2.70.

Missed: Demand Respect $3.80 into $3.30, Raining On Ringo $1.40 into $1.28, Pink Ponder $14 into $10, Live For Peace $21 into $15, Velocity Stride $26 into $11, Tally Operator $6.40 into $4.60, The Shallows $4.20 into $3.50 and Denstown $5.50 into $4.40.

Trial File

King Island – Saturday morning
A big trial session with 15 horses contesting a total of four trials.

All trials were standing start events over 1735 metres, and the winners were; Princess Luna (2m 22.6s), Ark Fury (2m 26.1s), Origin Billy (2m 31.4s) and this year’s King Island Cup winner Ruffalo (2m 16.0s).

Hobart – Sunday afternoon
Two trials were held prior to Sunday’s race meeting.

Watchmylips was having his first public appearance since being stood down for one trial with an easy all the way win in the opening trial to score by 12.8 metres in 2m 0.2s.

The second trial was won by recent Zeke Slater stable addition Hesnoprince, who has been well defeated in two starts at Leeton. The pacer settled behind the leader in the trial before working into the clear at the top of the home straight to score by a head in 2m 4.5s.

Carrick Park – Monday evening

Two-year-old gelding Alkatraz from the Melissa Maine stable recorded the fastest mile rate of the four trial’s on Monday night in 2m 6.7s.

The unraced gelded son of Mr Feelgood worked forward to take up the lead before being headed around the home corner where he paced a little roughly before balancing up well in the home straight to fight back and score.

Other winners included Chilla Breeze (2m 7.0s), Metro Digby although he is listed as finishing second, he clearly looked the winner on the Tasracing replays (2m 11.5s) and Karalta News (2m 11.0s).

King Island – Wednesday evening
Results unavailable at the time of publication, the clubs first meeting will be held on 5 December.

You can view the trials held on mainland Tasmania by clicking here.

FORMPLUS Black Book

Aussie Rock
Was a beaten favourite when first-up from a break in Burnie on Friday. The pacer settled one-out and three-back from her second row draw over the 2180-metre trip and finished off very well out wide in the home straight in a race that was run to suit those on the speed, which was reflected in the mile rate of 2m 6.3s, the slowest of the three races. The mare heads to Carrick Park on Sunday where she will enjoy the bigger track and better barrier draw.

Week Ahead

There will be 14 races for punters to find a winner for Show Day racing in Devonport on Friday when the D.H.R.C and N.W.G.R.C join forces to hold seven races each.

The highlight of the harness card is race three, the Collins Homes Discretionary Pace where last start Devonport winner Lip Reader starts off a 10-metre handicap.

Lip Reader won that race from the front mark with Full Speed Ahead and Taurisi filling the placings with the trio all going back 10 metres.

The harness card commences at 17:01, with the greyhounds commencing earlier at 15:42, with all harness races on Sky Racing 2.

Carrick Park is the venue for Sunday twilight racing from 15:55.

Two heats of the Bramich Bulldozing Trainers Incentive series are set down for decision with the final to be staged at the clubs next meeting on 27 December where the winning trainer of the final will win a new race sulky.

The Carrick Park card will be split across Sky Racing 1 and 2, with the first four races at the time of writing on Sky 2 with the remainder of the program on Sky Racing 1.

Interstate this week Beau Garcon who is raced by the Tasmanian Trotting Club will go around in race thee at Melton on Saturday night and is the only Tasmanian representative at metropolitan venues this week.

 

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