A big contingent of Tasmanian pacers will compete at Tabcorp Park Melton tonight (10 August) and Sunday night (12 August) in the hope of qualifying for the rich finals on Sunday 19 August.
Tonight the focus is on the $20,000 semi finals for the two and three year olds. Riverside (Launceston) trainer Brian Stanley has Palmisano in the first semi final for the two year old colts and geldings and the American Ideal gelding will be looking for his sixth consecutive win. He won the $30,000 Dandy Patch Final at Hobart on 15 July and followed up a week later with a breeders crown heat win at Launceston.
With six wins this season, Palmisano has won more races than any of his opponents but regular driver Todd Rattray is well aware that Friday nights race is a new ball game for Palmisano. Bit Of A Legend won a $244,000 race in New Zealand in May and the Victorian Lennytheshark was a gallant third in the $100,000 Vicbred Super Sires Final and has the advantage of the pole draw. Ginger Bliss and Lochinver are smart two year olds.
Delightful Christian is a Tasmanian owned filly but most of her two year old racing has been in New Zealand where she won a $150,000 Harness Jewels Final at Cambridge in June and followed that with an easy breeders crown heat win at Launceston on 22 July.
Trained by Barrie Rattray and driven by his son Gareth, Delightful Christian will renew her rivalry with Its Onlyforyou, who sat in the breeze and was a brave second to Delightful Christian in the Harness Jewels Final. Other chances appear to be Our Femme Fatale, who won the fillies division of the $100,000 Vicbred Super Sires Final, and Ohyouluckything.
Tasmania is well represented in the four year old heats on Sunday 12 August. Ignorance Is Bliss and Benediction are both in heat two for the mares. Ignorance Is Bliss has won four races this season and followed a fourth from 20 metres in a Tapeta Park Devonport stand with a third at Bendigo. Ignorance Is Bliss is ideally drawn in barrier one.
Benediction is the best performed horse in the heat with 14 wins and $112,819 in stake money being four wins and $20,000 more than any of the other mares. During the early part of the season Benediction has raced her way through to the edge of open class in Tasmania but has been winless from her last eight starts. If she is back to her best she should qualify for the final.
Beautide and Turnpike Cruiser meet in the second heat for the four year old colts and geldings. Beautide is one the best pacers to race in Tasmania over the last decade with a record of 19 wins and six placings from 27 starts but the opposition he faces on Sunday night, including Mustang Mach and Excel Stride, are in a different league. Last week at Melton, Mustang Mach defeated the sensational Sushi Sushi and Excel Stride conquered the mighty Smokin Up.
Turnpike Cruiser, trained by Michael Laugher, has been competitive at Melton in recent weeks but he is faced with the challenge of a wide barrier and the awesome talent of Mustang Mach and Excel Stride.
Twilight Town, also trained by Laugher, has a good record in Tasmania winning 10 races and placing nine times from 29 starts. His last start was a close second at his first start in open company.
Unfortunately Twilight Town faces the same dilemma as Beautide and Turnpike Cruiser – the opposition includes the cream of Australasia’s four year olds. Caribbean Blaster, the winner of the $200,000 Chariots Of Fire at Menangle in April 2012 has drawn the pole in Twilight Town’s heat.
Details for Tasmanian horses at Tabcorp Park Melton are:
Tonight (10 August)
6.42 pm Race 1 Number 6 Palmisano
7.12 pm Race 2 Number 9 Delightful Christian
Sunday Night 12 August
6.58 pm Race 4 Number 1 Ignorance Is Bliss
6.58 pm Race 4 Number 3 Benediction
8.28 pm Race 7 Number 1 Beautide
8.28 pm Race 7 Number 7 Turnpike Cruiser
8.52 pm Race 8 Number 6 Twilight Town
Kevin Neilson
Harness Code Development Manager