News Article

Weekly Harness Wrap

22 / 01 / 2015 Article by: TR Internal
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Tasmanian Performances During The Week

Harness savings reallocated

The Tasracing Board has approved harness stakemoney increases to apply from 1 February 2015 to 30 June 2015. All Sunday twilight races will increase to a minimum of $7,500 (Claimers $6,500), Tasbred Sires Stakes heats will increase to $10,000 and 17 feature races that were advertised at $8,000 will increase to $10,000.

Savings have accrued during the first seven months of this financial year from races being abandoned due to weather or racing incidents and races being deleted because of a lack of acceptors.

 

 

Dylan Ford to represent Tasmania in 2015 AYDC

BRIGHTON reinsman Dylan Ford has been selected to represent Tasmania in the 2015 Australasian Young Drivers Championship in New Zealand.  The 19-year-old will compete in the series for the second time against drivers from all Australian states and New Zealand.

Ford was the automatic Tasmanian selection after being the best performed young driver during the 2013/14 racing season. Ford finished second in the 2014 Australasian Young Drivers Championship in NSW after winning three of the 10 heats including the $50,000 heat at Menangle.

The 2015 Australasian Young Drivers Championship starts at Cambridge on 7 May in the North Island of New Zealand followed by Auckland the next day. On 9 May the action shifts to the South Island at Christchurch and concludes the next day at Timaru.

 

2015 Harness Yearling Website Page

The 2015 Harness Yearling Website Page is now available for prospective buyers to evaluate some quality Tasbred yearlings. The page replaces the traditional yearling sale format and will be available up to 27 February 2015.

Buyers can utilise Tasbred breeding incentives to purchase yearlings via the website page. The incentives that can be used are the Breeders Coupon and the Tasbred Owners Breeding Incentive (TOBI).

Any yearling that is advertised on the website page, and has fulfilled all the conditions of the sale, will be eligible for a $2,000 first win bonus provided the win is achieved before the horse reaches five years of age. The $2,000 will be shared between the vendor and buyer with $1,000 for the vendor and $1,000 for the owner at the time the horse wins a race.

All transactions and discussions are to take place between the Vendor and the Buyer.

Full details can be accessed at http://tasrace.in/HY-15

 

 

Star Chamber puts hoof in Beautide territory

Beautide didn’t make it back to the races last Saturday night due to an elevated temperature. The champion Tassie pacer was to contest the $50,000 Bendigo Cup but his legion of fans across the nation are now hoping he is fit enough to race in the $400,000 Victoria Cup at Melton on 31 January.

In the meantime, Tasmanian enthusiasts will get an opportunity to assess the latest local star against quality mainland opposition when Star Chamber (N4) contests the $50,000 Shepparton Gold Cup on Saturday night. The winner will be exempt from the ballot for the $400,000 A G Hunter Cup at Melton on 7 February.

The standing start Shepparton Cup is loaded with Grand Circuit aspirants and should provide a good indication of Star Chamber’s current standing in Australian harness racing. Lennytheshark (N3) is first up from a spell after seven consecutive wins at the end of his 4YO season including the $110,000 Vicbred Super Sires Final.

Steam Washed (N2) was a last start third in the $125,000 SA Cup and Flaming Flutter (N5) was second in the same race. Smudge Bromac (N9) was second to Christen Me in the $50,000 Bendigo Cup last Saturday night.

Injury plagued Philadelphia Man (N11) is off 10 metres and has won his last 11 starts over almost three years the latest being the $60,000 Horsham Cup on 11 January. Bitobliss (N12) starts from 20 metres and he won the $50,000 Smoken Up Sprint at Melton in early November.

The backmarker, For A Reason (N13 – 30 metres) is proven at Grand Circuit level with a 2013 Victoria Cup win and placings in the 2013 Miracle Mile and the 2014 Inter Dominion. His last four starts have included wins in the $200,000 Queensland Pacing Championship and the $50,000 Shirley Turnbull Memorial (Bathurst).

Star Chamber is clearly the best pacer in Tasmania this season. The 6YO gelding was placed twice at Melton in September and followed up with five wins from his last six starts including the $40,000 Tasmania Cup, the $20,000 Hobart Pacing Cup, the $10,000 Danbury Park Cup and the $10,000 Cannonball Charge

Brighton trainer/driver Nathan Ford deserves the highest accolades for his management of Star Chamber. Ford acquired Star Chamber in October 2013 with a record of two wins from 16 New South Wales starts. In the 16 months since then Star Chamber has 10 wins and nine places from 27 starts for a total of $87,639 in stakemoney. His career record is 43 – 12 – 5 – 8 – $95,889.

 

 

Luke Peter wins again at Hobart

Brighton Training Centre trainer Zane Medhurst is rapidly developing a reputation as the best long shot trainer in Tasmania and Luke Peter loves the big race meetings. They combined to win at odds of $14.60 on Tasmania Cup day (21 December) and repeated the dose at odds of $36.90 at the Hobart Pacing Cup meeting on Sunday night. In form driver Nathan Ford was in the sulky for both wins.

Last seasons best 2YO’s won at Hobart on Sunday. Fawzia led and just held on to win the first fillies feature race of the season – the $10,000 Office National Pace. The 3YO filly is trained by Barrie Rattray and was driven by his son Todd. Safety Girl, Mei Gei and Fuscienne all figured in the blanket finish. Fawzia has now won six of her eight starts for $51,696 in stakemoney.

Jerrys Jet returned from a seven month spell for a first up win in the $7,000 Pack And Send Pace (3C0/3C1). The 3YO gelding responded to a perfect Rick Duggan drive by finding the line two metres clear of the unlucky No Spring Secrets. Jerrys Jet, trained at Old Beach by Paul Hill, has won six of his seven starts for $43,108 in stakemoney.

 

Rohan Hillier dominates Scottsdale meeting

Rohan Hillier enjoys a good joke but if he brags about training and driving the card at Scottsdale last Friday ask for more details. Eventually, Hillier may get round to explaining the meeting was called off after the first due to weather and track conditions.

 

Hiller won the first (and only) race with his smart 3YO Baragoola. After one unplaced 2YO run in Victoria, Baragoola found his way to Hillier’s Beauty Point stables and has won three, placed second three times and third once from seven starts. The three wins have occurred at his recent starts at St Marys, Burnie and Scottsdale.

 

No decision has been made regarding a possible replacement date for the washed out Scottsdale meeting.

 

 

Harness Form Analysis

Information on Scottsdale and Hobart is available at www.tasracing.com.au in the Punters Corner section.