Tasracing

Friday night in Hobart we saw Ryley Major notch up his tenth win in a row and tonight in Launceston we see another pacer out to extend their picket fence.

The Heath Woods trained and driven pacer The Shallows has won his past six starts and the progressive pacer looks set to add onto that tally in the Elders Insurance Launceston Pace.

The gelded son of Shadyshark Hanover is second-up from a spell tonight after a brilliant win in Hobart on 26 January in a rating 60 to 69 event that was full of progressive talent.

Sent out at $3.70 on that occasion the pacer was three and four wide over the final 1200 metres and was out seven wide at the top of the straight where he flew home to score and surprise many from the position he was in, including his trainer-driver Heath Woods.

“He surprised me a lot last start, turning for home I didn’t think he could win but we might be able to run a place,” said Woods.

“When you look back at the field there was pretty good form in the race,” added the trainer-driver.

Since that win over Frostyflyer, The Shallows has been back to the Hobart trials where he scored on 3 February when qualifying from a standing start.

“It was just to give us a few options going forward,” said the Broadmarsh postman.

“That has brought him on just nice, he looks a treat,” added Woods.

The winner of seven races from 16 career starts is starting to surprise his trainer.

“He has always shown a bit of dash but what has surprised me is that he is able to do a bit of work, he now knows what it is all about,” said Woods.

Tonight, The Shallows will have his first start away from Hobart which is of no concern to the trainer who said the pacer is “a good traveller.”

Woods also said that the four-year-old gelding “has won a couple of different ways” which makes his job as driver a little bit easier.

Punters have installed The Shallows as the $1.45 favourite for tonight’s race over Frostyflyer who has won two of his past four starts at $6.50.