It’s the last race meeting of the harness season, and the premierships have been decided, but harness followers will not find it any easier to pick the winners at The TOTE Racing Centre (Launceston) on Sunday night. Ten races are listed for decision and the unknown factor is how starters from the M J (Joe) Buttigieg stable will perform.
Buttigieg hails from Port MacDonnell in South Australia. The authentic fishing village is 30 kilometres south of Mount Gambier and only 25 kilometres from the Victorian border allowing Buttigieg easy access to Globe Derby Park (SA) and many tracks in Victoria.
Buttigieg’s strike rate in South Australia is astonishing and puts him in the elite category of strike rate trainers in Australia. This season he has won 29 races from only 62 starters. In 2007/2008 he won 30 races from 88 starters and in 2006/2007 it was 45 from 115. Buttigieg has entered four horses at The TOTE Racing Centre and all are making their Tasmanian debut.
Clyde Maguire (R1 N5) has had nine starts in New Zealand for a win and a placing and his race form suggests he is a huge chance to record a victory at his Australian debut.
Clyde Maguire has raced at New Zealand’s two best tracks (Auckland and Christchurch) at his last four starts. He won a race at Auckland and has finished within 12 metres of the winner at two other starts. Clyde Maguire hasn’t raced for nine months.
Baroda Bandito (R2 N3) is a real homebody four year old having raced at Mt Gambier (2 wins) or Globe Derby (5 wins) for 32 of his 42 race starts winning eight and placing 13 times. The big factor in his favour is the standing start, from which he has had a win, fourth and sixth from three starts at Mount Gambier in January 2011.
Baroda Bandito won a heat of the Mount Gambier Cup by 11 metres rating a handy 2:06:7 for the 2590 metres. In the final (21 January), he finished sixth beaten 20 metres by the smart three year old Devilish Smile (2:06:3).
Just Soldier On (R4 N13) is another ex New Zealander winning one from nine on home soil before racing from the Glenn Douglas barn (Victoria) for 12 starts in 2011. The most recent was on 18 June when second at Shepparton after a second at Bendigo two weeks earlier. Despite the fact that Just Soldier On is winless in Australia, and the five year old is having his first start for Buttigieg, he must be treated with respect at his Tasmanian debut.
Buttigieg finishes the night with Grizz Wyllie (R8 N4). Another ex New Zealander, the Christian Cullen four year old gelding boasts an imposing record of 11 wins from 24 starts. His 18 Australian starts for Buttigieg have produced eight victories, including a purple patch of six on end in February/March this year.
Grizz Wyllie won a Hobart trial on 8 August by a big margin in fast time. On form, Grizz Wyllie may be the best of a handy team for Buttigieg on Sunday night.
Story submitted by Kevin Neilson