In Brief
- Chopper going for two wins in a row.
- Trainer wrapped with the last-start win.
- Pachacuti resumes from NSW campaign.
Five-year-old gelding Beam Me Up Chopper will be chasing back-to-back wins when he lines up in the Great Northern Super Crisp Stakes in Launceston tonight.
Beam Up Chopper came from well back at the 400-metre mark to win at Carrick Park last Sunday where trainer Kate MacLeod didn’t give the pacer much hope during the race.
“I thought he was too far back as it is hard to make ground out wide there,” said MacLeod.
“He pulled up good, he has been bouncing around in his paddock,” added the Bridport based trainer.
Beam Me Up Chopper last quarter in that race was recorded in 27.97s on the Tasracing Calculated Sectionals, it was the second quickest last quarter.
Tonight the gelding will start from barrier five in the 2200 metre event.
“It’s a tricky draw, we don’t usually use him up early, I’ll leave it up to Conor but I doubt we will get too involved early,” said the trainer.
Beam Me Up Chopper opened up the $2.70 favourite on the Tasracing Official Price over Hafter at $3.20 and Pink Ponder at $4.20.
The fast class race of the night is the Tassie Wash Discretionary where we see the return to the track of Pachacuti.
The 10-year-old gelding hasn’t won since November 2018 and hasn’t been seen in any recent trials since his last start at Menangle in July.
Trainer-driver Todd Rattray has a 20-metre handicap to overcome in tonight’s 2200 metre event.
“He has been working all right but he’s still pretty fat at the moment,” Rattray told The Examiner newspaper on Friday.
Pachacuti was trained during his New South Wales preparation by James Rattray who had a sleepless night with a bushfire burning extremely close to his property last night.
James took to Facebook this morning to thank those that helped him overnight and inform people that everyone and all horses were fine.
For the month of January, trainer Ben Yole along with drivers Samantha Gangell and Troy McDonald will donate $50 for every winner they get this month to the Red Cross Bushfire Appeal.
Also, interstate the Matthew Cooper trained Call Me Hector will contest today’s Group 3 Cobram Pacing Cup.
Former Tasmanian Justin Campbell has been booked for the drive where he faces a tough ask from barrier 13 in the 2678 metre mobile start event.
Call Me Hector is one of the outsiders of the field at $101 with Ladbrokes.
Tonight’s eight race card in Launceston commences at 18:05.