The Tasmanian Country Cup Carnival rolled on last weekend with the North Eastern Pacing Club holding their annual Cup day program at Scottsdale on Friday where Black Centurian finally took out the main race after being runner up for the past three years.
The Carnival then rolled on to TAB Park Elwick in Hobart where the New Norfolk Cup, E C Plunkett Memorial, Matron Stakes and Toreace Flying Mile created a bumper card for the Tasmanian Trotting Club.
King Island also raced on Saturday where the King Island Cup winner Mister Resister took out the main race of the day, the King Island Flying Mile where he recorded a time of 2m 11.1s.
This week in Launceston we see the two-year-olds step out for the first time in the Keith Stanley Memorial Debutante Stakes at the only meeting for the week in Launceston on Friday evening.
The Stars
Steve Davis - continued his brilliant run into 2019 when he trained Black Centurian to victory in the $12,000 Bridport Hotel North Eastern Pacing Cup on Friday, Davis then added the $12,000 Matron Stakes to his resume on Sunday in Hobart with Ima Ginger Rogers. That was the third feature win so far this year for Steve who trained Black Centurian to victory in the St Marys Cup on New Year's Day.
Sea Double Ugrant - made it a hat-trick of wins when he scored in the $12,000 Top Of The Town Bakery New Norfolk Pacing Cup. The gelded son of Four Starzzz Shark raced on the three-wide train over the final circuit and was able to outstay his rivals over the concluding stages to win by a head over the race favourite Inner Light after the 3060-metre trip which is TTC's longest race of the season.
Harjeet -the Todd Rattray trained and driven pacer went within .05 of a second off breaking the TAB Park Elwick track record when he won in a time of 1m 55.35s in the Toreace Flying Mile. In ideal weather conditions to break the record the gelded son of Rocknroll Hanover worked forward to race outside the leader and runner up Scooterwillrev at the 850-metre mark, the duo put up a brilliant battle from that point of the race.
Geoff Smith and John Walters - teamed up for a double at Scottsdale on Friday evening including the track record run of Vapar Glenn in a C0 or better standing start race before repeating the dose 39-minutes later with Aitutaki.
Safari Sunshine - it had been 1,713 days since her debut third in Hobart, the Bradley Walters trained mare finally broke through for her maiden win at start 56 in the opening race at Scottsdale on Friday with Gareth Rattray driving her to a four-metre victory.
Multiple Winners
Scottsdale – Friday afternoon
Gareth Rattray - driving double; Safari Sunshine and Black Centurian,
John Walters - driving double; Vapar Glenn and Aitutaki,
Geoff Smith - training double; Vapar Glenn and Aitutaki,
Ben Yole - training double; Northview Dave and Heidi Go Seek.
Hobart – Sunday evening
Mark Yole - driving double; Sea Double Ugrant and Badrick,
Ben Yole - training double; Mahksman and Badrick.
Calculated Sectional Standouts
Quickest last halves (800m) from last week’s action.
Scottsdale – Friday afternoon
Unavailable
Hobart – Sunday evening
Harjeet 57.10s, Destreos 57.11, Scooterwillrev 57.33. Outside of race three; Alta Surreal 58.19s, Streitkid 58.71s and Juniper 58.90s.
View all available Tasmanian Sectional Data by clicking here.
Tasracing Official Price
Scottsdale – Friday afternoon
Defied The Drift: Vapar Glenn $4.40 out to $5.50, Northview Dave $9.00 out to $19, Ellbeebliss $61 out to $91 and Black Centurian $5.00 out to $6.50.
Missed: Itzuptoyouharry $8.00 into $5.50, Invest $1.90 into $1.65, Sheer Strength $16 into $5.00, Stylish Trend $4.20 into $3.70, Perfect Mach $10 into $6.00, Guesstamate $41 into $15.
Hobart – Sunday evening
Hit’s: Krafty Boy $3.50 into $3.20 and Badrick $11 into $4.80.
Defied The Drift: Feelin Dusty $3.40 out to $5.50, Harjeet $2.50 out to $3.60, Ima Ginger Rogers $5.50 out to $9.00 and Sea Double Ugrant $4.40 out to $5.00.
Missed: Real Diamond $26 into $12, Frankie Falzoni $21 into $8.00, No Spring Secrets $21 into $14, El Jays Mystery $6.50 into $3.70, Kvitova Leis $9.00 into $6.50, Inner Light $5.50 into $4.20,
Trial File
Hobart – Monday evening
Naturally it was the fast class trial of the night recording the quickest mile rate of the five trial session at TAB Park Elwick.
It was the Chris and Matthew Howlett combination with Major In Art gelding Rockin An Runnin recording a mile rate of 2m 2.6s.
The gelding defeated I Am Camelot by one metre with Resurgent Dream a further metre away in third position.
Other winners were; Isaac (2m 6.0s), Watchmylips (2m 6.1s), Ductape (2m 3.5s) and Ideal Bliss (2m 2.7s).
Devonport - Monday evening
The John Castles-trained Spot Eight recorded the quickest winning mile rate of the evening when he recorded a mile rate of 2m 1.6s for 2297m.
Driven by Charlie Castles the gelded son of Tiz A Masterpiece won the C2 to C4 trial by 10 metres over the Makenna Hillier-driven Paint The Wind.
Spot Eight will be hoping to race up to his trial win when he contests race three in Launceston on Friday night.
Remaining trials won by; Keep Playing (2m 11.3), Chief Destroyer (2m 4.6s), Brookwillrev (2m 9.7s), Gypsys Clown (2m 5.3s) and No Apachemee (2m 4.2s).
Week Ahead
Trainer Kent Rattray and driver John Walters will be looking to make it back-to-back wins in the Keith Stanley Memorial Debutante Stakes when they combine with Rockandahardplace, a gelded son of Pet Rock, at the TAB Racing Center in Launceston on Friday evening.
The Shane's Hawes owned and bred youngster has won both his trials in preparation for his first race day assignment on Friday night. His most recent trial on December 17, at Carrick Park, he won by two metres with two of his rivals in Friday's race finishing behind him with Evie Kay (a 2018 Tasmanian Yearling Sale purchase) finishing five metres from the winner and Ragstoriches finishing last of the four-horse trial, it was only eight metres from the winner in a 2m 11.4s mile rate for 1670m.
The first two-year-old race of the season is the last race at 21:28.
TAB have a number of Jackpot's on the UTAB pool including a $9,726 Jackpot on the Any 2 bet type on race one with the pool expected to be in excess of $35,000.
The UTAB pool will also have a $1,000 Quaddie Jackpot which commences on race two.
Tasracing will have a hosted live stream service on the programme, Sky Racing will also telecast the meeting with races 1, 2, 4 and 6 on Sky Racing 1 while races 3, 5 and races 7 to 9 to be shown on Sky Racing 2
The King Island Racing Club will stage two harness events on Saturdays non-Tab meeting where Mister Resister will be looking to make it a hat-trick of wins in the first of the harness events.
Interstate this week East Devonport owner Mick Maxfield will be hoping his smart Bettors Delight colt, Max Delight will continue on his winning way when he contests the third heat of the Victorian Derby at Ballarat on Saturday evening.
The David Aiken-trained and driven pacer won his most recent start at Shepparton on Saturday night winning by 20.6-metres when leading all the way.
He recorded his last two quarters in 28.7s and 27.9s.
Latrobe owner Warren Viney will be chasing Group 1 glory in the Ballarat Cup with Cruz Bromac, who he part owns.
