Tasracing

Up and coming pacer Mister Gently will be out to follow in the footsteps of his dam, Tania Maree when he lines up the Ken Redpath North West Plate Final at the annual Boxing Night meeting at the Devonport Showgrounds on Thursday night.

Tania Maree won nine of her 16 starts including the 2014 edition of the North West Coast Plate.

Mister Gently, trained and driven by Stowport’s Craig Hayes, qualified for the $12,000 Final after winning his heat impressively in Burnie last Friday at his second run back from a spell.

Ending up one-out and three-back from his inside of the second-row draw Hayes had to make his move out three-wide at the 800-metre mark where he proved too strong for his rivals in a mile rate of 2m 5.7s, which was marginally slower than the other heat won by Weerrook Harry in 2m 5.4s.

On Thursday night Mister Gently has to overcome a second-row draw once again in the 2286 metre standing start event which is a slight hesitation for his trainer-driver, Craig Hayes.

“It’s a bit tricky off the second row if he drew the front he would have been a really good chance as he does step well normally,” said Hayes.

Mister Gently has been lightly raced throughout his career with three wins and two placings from only five career starts on his resume.

“He just didn’t pace that well early, he had the ability but just couldn’t put it all together, we always thought he was going to make it so we didn’t worry too much about him early,” explained Hayes.

Craig and his wife Tania bred the gelded son of Live Or Die out of the Stonebridge Regal mare Tania Maree and the pacer does have a number of his mothers traits.

“He is a very easy horse to do anything with and his mother was a nice little mare and he is much the same, he gives everything he has got, he can stay and he tries so you can’t ask for any more than that,” said the trainer-driver.

Mister Gently has won his past three starts including a heat of the Carrick Trainers Encouragement series on 1 December and Hayes will back the pacer up in the final of that series on Sunday afternoon, where once again he has a second-row draw to overcome.

“It’s not something that I normally do but it’s just the way it worked out, said Hayes.

“I don’t think it will worry him at all, he will go for a break after that race anyway,” added the horseman.

Thursday’s Devonport card also sees the running of the popular 7AD Allen Williams Memorial Final for the maidens, some winners of note in recent years include Harjeet in 2017 and Faithful Gabby in 2014.

Four heats have been held around the state in the four weeks.

Shady Story won the first heat with an all the way win in Devonport on 29 November at what was the three-year-old geldings first start.

Heat Two was staged in Hobart on 8 December where the Ben Yole trained Willybe led all the way to score in slow time.

The next heat was staged in Launceston on 13 December in what was the strongest heat. 

He Got Rocked, who didn’t handle the Devonport track the start prior, enjoyed a lovely run to score by 6.5-metres from Bring The Flave who was doing his best work late. The mile rate of 2m 2.1s was the quickest of the four heats.

The final heat was staged in Burnie last Friday where Auckland Ruby won as a short price favourite in 2m 9.5s.

Thursday’s card commences at 18:00 and will be televised on Sky Racing 2 and live-streamed on TasracingTV.

The meeting is one of the most attended of the season for the Devonport Harness Racing Club.

Watch He Got Rocked winning Heat Three of the Allen Williams Memorial in Launceston on 13 December: