Southern-based hobby trainer Ben Richardson will take two runners to Hobart on Sunday night, including last start Launceston winner Royal Reactor, who broke his maiden status at start 23.
The Auckland Reactor gelding, had recorded seven placings prior to that maiden win, but it hasn’t all been smooth sailing for the pacer as trainer Ben Richardson recalls.
“He is a nice horse, we got him off Steve Lukac who did a marvellous job with him, but he had a bad injury as a young horse. He had a lot of scar tissue damage and stuff like that, but Steve got him back and was looking to move him on as he wanted to cut down his numbers, he rang me up and offered him to us as he knew he would be going to a nice home,” the trainer said.
The pacer lines up in the eighth race on Sunday where he has drawn barrier two.
“He just needs a bit of luck in his races, he likes a bit of cover, so hopefully we get that on Sunday night and I think he will be thereabouts again,” Richardson said.
Richardson’s other runner on the card is 13-year-old veteran Boltnmach, who lines up in the fifth race.
“Last year he had a lot of problems with a hoof abscess and lameness, and I thought he needed retiring but he was belting around in the paddock and we thought we would give him another go,” explained Richardson.
The Mach Three gelding is first-up on Sunday since 2 July, and goes into the race on the back of a trial win on 23 May.
“His trial was excellent and showed that he is ready to keep on going for a couple of more starts,” said the trainer.
Both horses will be driven by in-form reinsman Mitch Ford.
The 10-race Hobart card commences at 16:45 and can be seen on TasracingTV, while Sky Racing 2 will cover race one, with the remainder of the meeting to be telecast on Sky Racing 1.
A reminder for those heading to the meeting that the bridge at Bridgwater is closed, with detours in place.
