Talented pacer Cool Water Paddy continued his rise through the grades on the Tasmanian Harness Racing scene when he scored an effortless win in last nights $12,000 Launceston Mile at the Ladbrokes Racing Centre in Launceston.
It was the Ohoka Arizona geldings first try at free-for-all level, and the pacer handled it well scoring an effortless win in a mile rate of 1m 57.3s on the rain-affected track.
Driver Ricky Duggan was able to get the pacer away well to take up the initial lead from the pole draw before handing up to Call Me Hector who pushed on to the lead near the 1100-metre mark.
Once Duggan relinquished the lead he got away from the inside at the 900-metre mark to take up the position outside the leader before asking the $1.80 favourite for the full effort with 400 metres remaining where Cool Water Paddy let down with a fast sprint, and he ran away to score by 11.9 metres and was actually eased up on the line by Duggan.
“The way he ran away from them was pretty good,” said trainer Juanita McKenzie after the win.
“We always thought he could burn the candle at both ends but until you get up in opposition you don’t really know how they will handle it,” she said.
The heats of northern Tasmania’s premier race, the Ladbrokes Easter Cup will be held this Sunday with the $75,000 final set down for 11 April and McKenzie indicated that’s where the pacer will likely head.
“The connections have the Easter Cup in mind, and I will see how he pulls up, which is never an issue with him, explained McKenzie.
The Easter Cup, a standing start race over 2698 metres will be the pacers first try in a standing start race after qualifying from the standing start in a Hobart trial last week, and the trainer acknowledges the difference in trial and race pressure for the pacer stepping away is a slight concern.
“Obviously standing starts at the trials is a lot different to standing starts at the races with a lot more horses around him,” she said.
The other highlight of the card was the Launceston Belmont for the two-year-old fillies which was won by Written In Silk who was on debut for the Ben Yole stable.
Easing in the betting from $1.90 out to $2.45, driver Mark Yole positioned the pacer outside the leader where she proved too good over the concluding stages to score by 9.7 metres over Indianna Sanz and Szabolski Leis.
Trainer Ben Yole was delighted with the winning performance which was recorded in a mile rate of 2m 3.3s for 1680 metres on a rain-affected track.
“She has shown potential in her trials, and she seems pretty smart so it’s good to see her come to the races and do it,” said Yole.
The filly is raced by leading greyhound trainer Anthony Bullock and thoroughbred racing identity Jess Campbell who teamed up to purchase the daughter of Sportswriter at last year’s Carrick Harness Racing Yearling Sale.
“The owners are wrapped, they paid a fair quid for her at the sales but with the Tasbred the way it is now and with it being a $12,000 race it is a good payday for them,” explained Yole.
Yole purchased several horses at the past two yearling sales as he shifts to the younger horses to take advantage of the high prize money that has been moved to the two and three-year-old races in recent years.
“We are trying to branch out into the two-year-old’s, she is the first one to race from the group we purchased last year, so that’s a good start, we had another go at the sales this year,” said the states leading trainer.
Yole is a little bit undecided on the future plans going forward for the filly.
“We will just see how she pulls up, she wouldn’t have blown out a candle when she came back after the race, she will have a break when she needs one or I may chat to the owners and give her one now and freshen her up,” he said.
“She is Tasbred, and if she is good enough, she will go to the Evicus later in the year as well as the Sweepstake series,” added Yole.
