Tasracing

Latrobe trainer Melissa Maine will be hoping Nancys Baby can win at her first race start in Burnie tonight when the three-year-old filly tackles the BHRC’s first feature race of the season, the Cables Plus Liza Storm.

Nancys Baby was ready to race as a two-year-old but was sidelined when suffering a virus with Maine electing to send the daughter of Pet Rock to the spelling paddock.

“We were keen to race her as a two-year-old as she had trialled well but she got a virus,” said trainer Melissa Maine ahead of tonight’s assignment.

The trial form out of Nancys Baby last trial as a two-year-old has stood up well.

It was at Carrick Park on 11 February where she scored by two metres over last seasons two-year-old colt and gelding of the year Colby Sanz who won three races last season including the Group 2 Dandy Patch in Hobart.

The third placegetter in the trial was Vons Angel, a winner of two races last season including the Group 2 Evicus in Hobart.

This preparation Maine has given Nancys Baby four trials including a win in Devonport on 4 November.

“She led up and did go a little bit slow early but sprinted home well, I was fairly happy with her,” explained the trainer.

Nancys Baby trialled in Burnie on Monday where she was defeated 6.5-metres by Mostly Spirit.

“We just let her drop out and follow them around to have a look at the track,” said Maine.

Tonight’s race is for three-year-old and older maidens with fillies and mares drawn and selected first, which the trainer was happy to target.

“We have had this race picked out for a couple of weeks that’s why we haven’t raced her any earlier, knowing that she could draw well,” said the trainer.

The Maine stable has one other runner on the Burnie card with Princess Luna (pictured) in race three.

The daughter of Sportswriter is second-up from a spell after running sixth in Devonport on 15 November.

“I was pretty happy with her run at Devonport as I thought it was a bit of a hard field for her, so when she ran home well from the tail I was pretty happy with her,” said Maine.

“She is no superstar but she does try,” added the trainer

Tonight is the first standing start that Princess Luna will contest and the trainer has been happy with the way the mare has stepped at home and at the trials.

“At home and at the trials she does step well.”

Maine has booked her partner, Gareth Rattray for the drive on both horses tonight.

Last seasons leading trainer Ben Yole looks set to have a big night on paper with many runners across the card.

Yole is well represented across the seven races and he prepares the early favourite in four races, those being Lake Eyre ($2.90) in race one, The Lemondrop Kid ($3.00) in race two, Hear The Call ($2.70) in race six and Jakes A Joy ($3.00) in the final race.

Tonight’s meeting commences at 18:51 and will be televised on TasracingTV, Sky Racing Active and Sky Racing 2.

Watch Princess Luna finish off well in Devonport on 15 November: