The curtain will come down on another Tasmanian Country Racing Summer season when the Burnie Harness Racing Club stages the last country meeting on Friday night, with the seven-race program featuring the North West Tasmanian Light Harness Association Cup (2500m).
The Burnie summer period has been a good one for Mark Yole, with 17 of 33 drives at the venue finishing in the first four placings since the club’s first meeting in October.
He will be out to build on that when he partners with Iron Clad in the $14,000 feature.
Iron Clad, a five-year-old Art Major entire, won the Patrons Marathon in Launceston three starts ago, and back in mid-November, he won a heat of the Golden Apple by 7m.
“He is a horse that can mix it with the better ones when he wants to and not when he doesn’t want to,” said Mark.
“He has been racing those better class horses in the mobiles, and in the stands he has raced well, winning the Golden Apple Heat and the Patrons Marathon, and I think he is well placed (on Friday).
Trained by Wayne Yole, Iron Clad has had one previous start on the Burnie track, when finishing sixth in the Cup behind Horatius Speculo in January.
“My slight concern is if he will handle the track, he raced there in the Cup, and he started off 20m, and he didn’t handle it that well, but hopefully the smaller field helps.
“I think he is better when he can roll along in front (as he did in the Patrons Marathon) and dictate and doesn’t have to come around them, and if he produced that run, you would say he would be winning, but there are a few fast beginners drawn inside him, so we will see how we get away,” said Mark.
Mark has a drive in all seven races, and he will be hoping to pick up a couple of wins as he is six wins short of 900 career wins in the sulky.
“There are a few chances there, as we know the track and the starts are crucial. If a couple could lob on top they could be hard to beat, but with the smaller fields make it more even racing at Burnie, so hopefully that can be an advantage to a few of those that I’m driving that haven’t drawn too well.”
The seven-race card commences at 16:24.
