It was Tasmania’s Harness racing’s premier race night on Saturday night in Hobart and the action on and off the track was electrifying which didn’t disappoint the large crowd that descended on TAB Park Elwick.
Victorian trainer David Aiken headed back across Bass Strait with a feature race double with Shelby Bromac in the Tasmania Cup and Tasmanian owned Max Delight who was too classy in the Tasmanian Derby.
David Miles took home the Tasmanian Oaks silverware after the win of Enchanted Stride.
Local trainer-driver Matthew Cooper took out the states premier mares race, the George Johnson with Call Her Julie while Trumps Golden Boy won the Tasmanian Trotting Cup at what was likely to be his last Tasmanian start.
Tonight racing returns to the state’s capital for a Tier 2 programme before we turn our attention to Devonport on Sunday night for a great nights action.
The Stars
Shelby Bromac – the Bettors Delight gelding proved too strong for his rivals in the Group 2 Tasmania Pacing Cup on Saturday night. Driver Kima Frenning drove an aggressive race in the early stages when racing outside the leader she was keen to keep Hajeet three-wide before she was able to work to the lead at the 1400-metre mark. Next months Easter Cup in Launceston is on the agenda for the David Aiken trained pacer.
Max Delight – the New South Wales Derby winner added the Tasmanian Derby to his impressive resume on Saturday night. The Bettors Delight colt is raced by prominent East Devonport owner Michael Maxfield and the win also completed a training double for David Aiken.
Call Her Julie – Oatlands trainer-driver Matthew Cooper was at his brilliant best when the Mare Of The Year from last season took out the George Johnson, the states premier mares race. It was her first win of the season, and the mare who is known for her toughness was driven accordingly when racing three-wide for the final 1200-metres to record her first placing in ten starts this season.
Enchanted Stride – recorded her second win of the season in the Tasmanian Oaks. Forced to race outside the leader in the Group 3 event, trainer-driver David Miles was able to get the upper hand over the early leader Spoilt Sport in the shadows of the post.
Trumps Golden Boy – continued a brilliant run for trainer Bianca Heenan when the gelded son of Tennotrum recorded his fifth Tasmanian win in the inaugural Tasmanian Trotting Cup. He was driven superbly by Christian Salter and the trotter completed a race to race double for Bianca Heenan.
Ryley Major – it had been 983-days since his previous start, but the gelded son of Art Major returned to the track with a brilliant win in Launceston on Sunday night. The Easter Cup is on the raider for the Rohan Hillier trained and driven pacer, but first, he will contest a $20,000 Vicbred M0 event at Melton on Saturday night where he looks very hard to beat.
Multiple Winners
Hobart – Saturday evening
David Aiken – training double; Shelby Bromac and Max Delight,
Bianca Heenan – training double; Twenty Two Karat and Trumps Golden Boy.
Launceston – Sunday evening
Rohan Hillier – training treble; Dusty Martini, Dufrense and Ryley Major.
Rohan Hillier – driving double Dufrense and Ryley Major.
Calculated Sectional Standouts
Quickest last halves (800m) from last week’s action.
Hobart – Saturday evening
Max Delight 56.00s, No Spring Secrets 56.65s, Twenty Two Karat 56.96s, Chilla Breeze 56.71s and Awayandrideyourself 56.71s.
Launceston – Sunday evening
Ryley Major 55.90s, Northview Dave 56.94s, Alta Surreal 57.24s, Braeview Bomber 57.25s and Grinable 57.26s.
View all available Tasmanian Sectional Data by clicking here.
Tasracing Official Price
Hobart – Saturday evening
Hit’s: Enchanted Stride $1.90 into $1.75 and Ready To Fire $17 into $15.
Defied The Drift: Delightful Junie $26 out to $41, Shelby Bromac $5.00 out to $7.00, Twenty Two Karat $3.50 out to $3.90 and Trumps Golden Boy $3.30 out to $3.90.
Missed: Swap Me $4.80 into $3.70 and Majestic Ess Jay $2.10 into $1.80.
Launceston – Sunday evening
Hit’s: Dusty Martini $3.00 into $2.00, Drifting Away $16 into $5.50 and Shadow Control $4.20 into $3.70.
Defied The Drift: Blame It On Me $16 out to $31 and Our Quinn $3.80 out to $4.80.
Missed: Radiant Red $13 into $4.60, Ektoras$81 into $19, Cardinal Art $31 into $17 and El Jays Monza $19 into $8.00.
Trial File
Devonport – Monday evening
American Ideal gelding Tisu Spirit recorded the quickest winning mile rate of the three trials in Devonport on Monday night, which was the only trial session held in the state in the past seven days.
Tisu Spirit, who is prepared by Melissa Maine, recorded a mile rate of 2m 2.8s for the 2297m mobile start trial where he defeated Red Shed Robbie by four metres, with Victoria Pass some 20-metres away in the third position.
Yatsenyuk Leis was another trial winner on the night. The gelded son of Shadow Play was stepping out for the first time in public since winning in Hobart back in mid-August. He defeated Krafty Boy by one-metre in a mile rate of 2m 6.3s.
The two-year-old trial was won by Tilly Max who led all the way to record a half-head victory in a rate of 2m 96s.
All trial winners are engaged at the Devonport meeting on Sunday night.
Week Ahead
Harness Racing returns to Hobart tonight for a seven-race card commencing at 17:09.
In race six we see the return to the track of I Wanna Rock who is resuming since the last start win on the track on June 4, 2017.
The Sam Rawnsley trained pacer suffered a sesamoid ligament which has seen him be in and out of work on numerous occasions since his last start win in June 2017.
Rawnsley has a fair opinion of the gelded son of Rock N Roll Heaven who has had two trials this season. He finished third in his trial in Hobart on December 10 before having a freshen up prior to his trial on March 4 where he finished 2nd.
The Rawnsley stable also has a good chance earlier in the night with Drayton in race four.
Devonport is the venue for Sunday night action when the DHRC stages an eight-race card.
The Allen Williams Memorial, the Leigh Plunkett, Latrobe Cup and the Neil Cameron Patrons Marathon are all feature races on the night’s action.
Beauty Point trainer Rohan Hillier will be hoping his good run can continue with a number of top chances during the night.
He prepares to Bring The Flave in the opening race. The two-year-old gelded son of Heston Blue Chip has drawn the pole and comes into the race on the back of three trials including a win at Carrick Park on January 28 when defeating Kengi Bell by eight metres, before being defeated by a narrow margin at the same venue on March 11.
Hillier will then put the polish on Dusty Martini in the Allen Williams Memorial Final. The three-year-old gelding made an impressive racetrack debut in his heat of this race in Launceston on Sunday night and looks one of the main chances in the final despite drawing outside of the second row.
Dufrense has drawn inside the second row in the Latrobe Cup, he follows out the likely leader in Yatsenyuk Leis and if the cracks appear late expect Dufrense to not be too far away at the business end of the race.
While Sheza Bettormak is the last runner to step out for Hillier in the second last race, she was a winner of her only race start back in June and was placed at her only trial at Carrick Park this preparation when defeated four metres by Alaphilippe in a Carrick on March 11.
While the Purple and Gold army will be out in force in Devonport on Sunday, the stable star, Ryley Major will be stepping out in force 24-hours early at Melton.
As previously mentioned the star pacer was brilliant in Launceston on Sunday and looks very well placed in the $20,000 Vicbred M0 event which commences the Melton card at 17:57.
Hillier has indicated that all going well Ryley Major will contest next months Easter Cup in Launceston with many of the Tasmania Cup fields also being aimed at that race including the winner Shelby Bromac. Also being aimed at the Easter Cup is Saturday nights Charlton Cup winner Cant Refuse.
