We come off another big weekend of harness racing in Tasmania.
Eight races were held in Hobart on Friday where War Chest flew around the Hobart track to win a rating 60 to 74 event in 1m 56.4s.
The action then turned to Launceston on Sunday night where Blackbird Power recorded his second win of the week while two pacers won on debut on the eight-race card.
There is only one meeting in the state this week, and it is a bumper 10-race card in Hobart on Sunday night.
The Stars
Blackbird Power – had two starts for the weekend for two wins. The gelded son of Mach Three had to survive a protest when winning in Hobart before defeating Scooterwillrev in Launceston. The pacer won both races by a short half head.
Kivik – caused the biggest upset of the weekend when scoring on debut at odds of $91 in Launceston. The gelded son of Courage Under Fire was well rated in front by Ben Parker.
Franko Joe – was another pacer to lead all the way and score on debut in Launceston. The pacer continued an excellent run for trainer Marc Butler.
Taylor Ford – registered a training and driving double in Launceston. She scored in the mares rating 55 to 69 event with Belligerence before The Thug proved too good for his rivals later in the night.
Tisu Spirit – the Tim Maine-trained gelded son of American Ideal continued his excellent form since resuming from the COVID-19 break when the pacer came from back in the field to win in 1m 58.3s on Sunday. Since the shutdown the pacer has won two races and placed on two further occasions from five starts.
Ben Yole – extended his lead on the top of the state trainers’ premiership with a double on Sunday. My Celebrity led all the way to score in good time before Guys Bettor Bet came with a well-timed run when leading home a Yole-trained trifecta later in the night.
Multiple Winners
Hobart – Friday evening
Zeke Slater – training double; Capitallee and Blackbird Power,
Sam Gangell – driving double; Capitallee and Blackbird Power.
Launceston – Sunday evening
Ben Yole – training treble; My Celebrity and Guys Bettor Bet,
Taylor Ford – training and driving double; Belligerence and The Thug.
Calculated Sectional Standouts
Quickest last halves (800m) from last week’s action.
Hobart – Friday evening
Lockaway Kacie 56.83s, Resurgent Storm 56.97s, Monarkmac 57.21s, Blackbird Power 57.33s and Debt Till We Part 57.38s.
Launceston – Sunday evening
Buster William 55.06s, Scooterwilllrev 55.07s, Sea Double Ugrant 55.47s, Blackbird Power 55.69s and Murry 55.86s.
View all available Tasmanian Sectional Data by clicking here.
Tasracing Official Price
Hobart – Friday evening
Hit’s: Tellmax Nikita $4.40 into $3.90, Delightful Junie $3.10 into $2.25, War Chest $21 into $9.00 and Stepping Stones $6.50 into $5.50.
Defied The Drift: Capitallee $3.80 out to $4.40, Forever Ours $3.20 out to $4.60 and Perfect Mach $12 out to $17.
Missed: Sacramento Sun $7.00 into $5.50, Hyde Park $31 into $19, Kiavino Stride $11 into $6.50, Kardesler $2.60 into $2.25 and Sign Of Oro $2.20 into $1.75.
Launceston – Sunday evening
Hit’s: Franko Joe $2.30 into $1.65, My Celebrity $19 into $5.00, Guys Bettor Bet $41 into $21 and The Thug $3.60 into $2.70.
Defied The Drift: Tisu Spirit $5.00 out to $6.00.
Missed: Heza Sport $7.00 into $4.60, Indiana Dreming $26 into $18, Feel The Burn $3.60 into $3.20, Salvator Mundi $6.50 into $4.20, Scooterwilllrev $4.00 into $2.70, Ozzie Major $14 into $9.50, Always A Stride $20 into $9.50,Victoria Pass $7.50 into $4.80 and Lightning Scooter $101 into $31.
Trial File
Hobart – Friday evening
The Rodney Ashwood-trained and driven two-year-old Four Starzzz Shark gelding Hughie Playboy was able to slot in behind the leader, before gaining an inside run at the 350-metre mark to score by a half neck over the stablemate and leader Ninefortwentythree with Whey Better using the sprint lane to finish a further 1.6 metres away third in 2m 3.9s.
Trainer Ben Woodsford prepared the quinella in the trial with Metro Star defeating Hashtag Finally. Metro Star raced behind the leader before sweeping to the lead at the 350-metre mark to score by 1.4 metres from Hashtag Finally with the remaining two rivals a further 19.9 metes away in 2m 1.6s.
Launceston – Sunday afternoon
Tisu Skye, a three-year-old filly by Courage Under Fire sat behind the leader before working one off at the top of the home straight to score by a head over the early leader Jimmy Mischief 2m 2.2s
Peaceful Thomas has done a bit wrong in his last three starts which have seen him sent back to the trials in recent weeks, and the winner of five races from 15 starts did everything right when coming from last at the 800m to win his trial in 1m 59.0s by 5.1 metres.
Shelby Bromac is a past Tasmania Cup winner and was well graded a in standing start trial where he flew away from his 20-metre handicap to lead after the first 70 metres, recording a mile rate from his handicap for the 1680 metres in 2m 2.1s.
Bullapark Beno was the sole runner in the education trial who trotted the 1680-metre trial in a mile rate of 2m 11.9s.
Trial Replays
You can view most trials since the resuming from the COVID-19 break by clicking here.
FORMPLUS Black Booker
Estelle
She was first-up since 29 March, and went into Sunday’s race in Launceston without a lead-up trial. From a wide draw driver Charlie Castles restrained the three-year-old filly back to last in the 2200-metre event before gaining a three-wide cart up over the final 1100 metres. With the leaders running a 62.6 first half it was going to be hard for her to make ground given she had to go out four and five wide for the final 400 metres and she hit the line strongly to run the leader down to 1.2 metres with her own last half mile recorded in a slick 56.67s.
Week Ahead
Ryley Major and Scooterwillrev recommence their on-track rivalry in Hobart on Sunday night in the Hobart Signwriters Pace.
Their last clash was in the 2019 Dakin Refrigeration Easter Cup where Scootwerwillrev and Ryley Major finished second and third respectively behind Franco Tristian.
To say a lot of water has gone under the bridge since that effort would be an understatement.
Scootwerwillrev has had a Sydney campaign where he scored one win while Riley Major has dominated the local scene including scoring in the Group 2 Tasmania Cup in March.
Both horses go into Sundays race second-up from a break, and both go into the race finishing second at their first-up assignments.
Scooterwillrev starts off the front-row in the 2090-metre standing start race on Sunday and given his excellent standing start manners it looks to be a big advantage over Ryley Major who has a 30-metre handicap to contend with, plus being the sole backmarker will have to pass his 10 remaining rivals in the event.
It all depends on how the two horses have come through their first-up performance and we will find out at 19:07 on Sunday.
The first of 10 races commences at 17:20, with the meeting to be shown on Sky Racing 1 and TasracingTV.
Some Tasmanian pacers doing battle over the next few days at metropolitan venues include;
Bendigo (Metro meeting) – Saturday night
Race 1 Horse 9 Streitkid,
Menangle – Saturday night
Race 1 Horse 7 Harjeet,
Race 6 (Group 2) Horse 1 No Apachemee and Horse 7 Ignatius.