The Night of My Life NZ narrowly defeating Herecomes The Cat in the 2011 Gawler Trotters Cup. Photo by Arclight Photography
The 2011 SA Trotters Carnival is the pinnacle for square gaiters on the racing calendar each year in the Festival State and over seven days starting Saturday Night all focus will turn towards the action on the track at Globe Derby Park.
The 40th Gramel Series gets underway on Saturday Night in honour of one of the greatest trotters to ever grace Australian racetracks in South Australian’s own Gramel. The first leg of the Gramel Series on Saturday Night is named in respect to the trainer of Gramel, former Adelaide milkman and rodeo rider Jack Roberts.
In 1959, Gramel was offered at the Adelaide sale and she was passed in at 350 guineas. Gramel had been sired by world record New Zealand pacer Johnny Globe, whose service had been won in a raffle, and Frank “Silky” Archibald Jones was in awe of Johnny Globe, so he bought the little filly with a rat tail for 375 guineas as a gift for his wife, Grace Melva Jones.
Drivers, Horses, Connections and more so Trainers with the award on offer will be out to gain maximum points in all aspects on Saturday Night.
There will once again be a Trainers award for the leading trainer at the carnival with a grand prize of a Sprintwell Sub-2 Racing Sulky valued at $2,800 donated by Hopkins Saddlery with many thanks to David Hopkins for his continued support of SA Harness Racing.
The feature of the night race 5 the 2011 SAHRC Jack Roberts Trotters Discretionary Handicap (1st Leg of Gramel Series) will be hotly contested with the main contenders stepping from the front row of the tapes. The Night of My Life has been in career best form under the care of Les Harding and gets the chance to make full affect of the state’s two best trotters on the sidelines. Herecomes The Cat also having won two of his past five starts including the Country Trotters Cup Final two starts ago has drawn the inside alley of the front row. Having had the front row is an advantage but the last to turn in the SA Standing Start process may well be of a disadvantage.
Interstate raider Justanothermaori for Caleb Lewis returns from a break and having not raced since October will be searching for the run over the later stages but the class of the 6yo Muscles Yankee Horse might just prevail. With only nine career starts for four wins and four placings, the ability is unquestionable.
Last start winner Likeaplayboy returned from a spell to defeat Herecomes The Cat but with a 10m handicap to overcome this week will need everything in his favor to make it back to back wins but can earn points to have a showing in the remaining legs of the series.
The 2011 Taylor Made Travel SA Trotters Oaks is the second of the feature races on the nine race program and with the scratching of the interstate Maree Caldow trained Miss Kai Ching after acceptances, it seems as if Our Dolly Would NZ will win her second start from four races on Australian soil. Trained and owned by Martin Herbert has only been on Australian soil for five weeks after arriving from New Zealand with three wins from 22 starts. Local hopes include Long May She Reign while Eurasian Dancer and Bella Sunset have recently joined the Jon Kingston-Mayne and Toby Ryan stable respectively and will have to be considered strongly.
The nine race program on Saturday Night will begin proceedings with the Caltex Bolivar C5 or Better Discretionary Handicap at 6:25pm with the trotting action to commence at 7:25pm in Race 3 the Globe Derby Poultry T1 or Better Trotters Discretionary Handicap.
