BRIGHTON harness trainer-driver Adrian Duggan celebrated his first double of the season at UBET Park in Hobart last night.
Duggan’s consistent five-year-old Flylika Hawk delivered the goods in the opening race on the eight-event card when he flashed home along the rails to defeat the odds-on favourite Metro Mouse by the narrowest or margins.
Then stable battler Tizyalator caused a boilover when he powered home from well back to win a C1 event over 2090 metres.
Flylika Hawk ($9) was not expected to trouble the favourite Metro Mouse ($1.60) given he started from the inside of the second row and was destined to end up three or four-back the fence.
Then when the leader and winner’s stablemate Maravilloso kicked clear nearing the home turn Flylika Hawk found space to improve and when the leader shifted up the track in the home straight Duggan drove him through the gap and he edged out the favourite in the last stride.
“This horse needs that sort of run in a race to be in the finish but he has been a model of consistency this time in and he deserved to win again,” Duggan said.
“He is a perfect horse for the Coastal races around Christmas time because he puts himself in the right spot and pings the start from a stand so that’s where he will be aimed in December-January,” he said.
Tizyalator’s win was more decisive, although Duggan again had to weave a passage through the field to get the desired result.