Tasracing

After starting his driving career in Tasmania, Jack Laugher now calls Victoria home, and this afternoon at Carrick Park, he will be helping his newly adopted home state in the $12,000 Carrick Inn Carrick Park Pacing Cup.

Laugher will once again take the reins on the John “Bulldog” Nicholson trained Smart Little Shard who has been in the state contesting the Devonport and Hobart Pacing Cups at his past two outings.

“He probably should have won the Devonport Cup, I drove him for luck where I probably should have driven him a little bit more confidently … and last week he did a really good job sitting outside Ryley Major, he is probably racing in career-best form at the moment,” said Laugher.

The Smiling Shard entire draws barrier one on the 10-metre mark in the 2650 metre event and Laugher is hopeful that the pacer should be able to step away more cleanly as opposed to his manners in the Devonport Pacing Cup.

“It should suit him better drawn there, he just shied at the tape and was probably just a little bit scared when it crashed back, he has had plenty of practice but barrier one wasn’t best for him that night,” said the former Westbury based reinsman.

Now based at Caroline Springs, Laugher has driven 165 winners in his career that started in March 2016 and he has no ambitions to move back to Tasmania

Laugher rates the Kent Rattray trained and pre-post favourite Sunny Sanz as the hardest to beat in the race.

The four-year-old gelded son of Sportswriter has won eight of his nine starts and was second in his only other outing.

Gareth Rattray will take the reins on the pacer for the second time, after driving the pacer to victory in his last start effort in the Meander Valley Cup on 29 December.

Since that win, Sunny Sanz has won a Devonport trial on 27 January in a mile rate of 2m 3.2s after starting off a 20-metre handicap.

The race also sees New Norfolk Pacing Cup winner Finn Mac Kee, Devonport Pacing Cup placegetter Full Speed Ahead along with Sea Double Ugrant and Black Centurian just some of the chances in an open cup field.

There is no off-track betting on the Carrick Park program, there will also be no off-track coverage on Sky Racing, RadioTAB or TasracingTV.

However, the club has organised coverage on City Park Radio which broadcasts on 103.7 fm and 96.5 fm in Launceston and surrounding areas.

For those outside the listening area, they can listen to the action on the stations online stream at cityparkradio.com.

Race one commences at 15:30 with the day to feature, fashions on the field, a celebrity double seated sulky race featuring Craig Newitt and Troy Baker, Harness up competition, plenty of kids activities, Yearling sale and live music with Adam Page until late.