For the first time since 2021, Boxing Night harness racing returns to mainland Tasmania in Burnie.
Boxing Day was traditionally a big day for Tasmanian harness racing, and until 2003, the state held meetings at King Island, a seven-race card at the Royal Showgrounds in Hobart both in the afternoon, and a further seven races at the Devonport Showgrounds that night, with all meetings attracting big crowds.
A strong crowd is expected to attend the eight-race Burnie card, with the $12,000 North West Plate Final (2180m) being the night’s feature race, and for the 15th year, it is once again sponsored by Kevin Redpath.
Two heats of the series were held at the recent Burnie meeting on 12 December, which were won by the Wayne Yole-trained Can Feel The Fury and Denny, one of three finalists from the in-form Tammy Langley stable, who prepared five winners in Hobart last Sunday.
Denny will start from a 10m handicap, the same mark he had in his heat win, where he began well to end up in the one-out one-back position, and proved too tough late by a half-head win with Dylan Ford in the sulky.
“He felt like he was going to win by a margin going down the back straight, but he had been out of the winner’s circle for a little while, and it felt like he had forgotten to win, so it was good to see him back in form,” said Ford.
“He is a horse that you can put into the race if I have to. It doesn’t help that if a couple off the front can ping away and put 10m on you pretty quick, if that happens it will make it hard, but I would rather be following them out (off 10m) than trying to hunt him out off the front.”
Langley also prepares Jilliby Jay Sea, who will be driven by Todd Rattray, and the Tiarna Ford-driven Done Well, in the trainer’s quest for her third consecutive North West Plate Final, after Sneaky Peak won in 2024 and Impulze in 2023.
The North West Plate Final was first run as the Coastal Plate in 1999, comprising heats in Burnie and a final at the Devonport Showgrounds before that venue’s closure as a harness track, with Burnie also hosting the final from 2022.
Only one horse has won two North West Plate Finals, Oneofthelads, and he will be aiming to be the first horse to win three, lining up from barrier five in this year’s running.
Friday’s Burnie program commences at 16:47 and will be televised on Sky Racing 2.
