The Tasmanian Pacing Club conducted a seven event programme in wet and windy conditions at Elwick on Sunday evening. A feature of the racing was the driving doubles of James Austin, Ricky Duggan and Gareth Rattray.
Tasmania’s very good crop of two year olds this season was shown in the colts and gelding prelude of the Elderslie Horse Care Sweepstakes. Swap Me made it two wins and a third from three starts, when he got up in the last stride to defeat the pacemaker Solid As A Rock, who has now finished second at all of his three starts .It was a fast run race and the mile was covered in two minutes, a very good time considering the conditions. Swap Me was bred in NSW and is owned by Jamie Cockshutt and Barry Cooper, the partnership also scored with Tales Of The City later on in the evening. The winner is by the very good New Zealand pacer Changeover, and is trained by Rodney Ashwood, and was driven by Ricky Duggan. The Sweepstakes Final in a fortnight looks set to be a good race with the barrier draw deciding who will be favourite.
The fillies division of the Sweepstakes only attracted a field of five after three scratchings.First starter Resurgent Dream quickly took up the running and never looked in danger of defeat winning by five metres from the consistent Playing Arkabella, who raced at her wheel all the way. Resurgent Dream is a full sister to the class performer Resurgent Spirit, both being by American Ideal from Resurgent Star. The winner is raced by her breeder Roger Whitmore, trained by Marc Butler and was driven by James Austin.
The Elite Free For All attracted a full field of eleven, with many chances. However it not turn out that way with the outsider Macho Comacho finishing best in the straight to catch the pacemaker Melolyn near the line to score by a narrow margin. The closeness of the finish can be gauged with all the eleven runners finishing with fourteen metres of the winner. Macho Comacho was having his sixth start in Tasmania for his second win.He is trained by Juanita McKenzie and was driven by Mark Yole, who is leading in the drivers premiership this season.
Lighty raced Iden Amrak had an easy win in the Sutter Hanover Pace. Leading all the way he won untouched by eleven metres from Streetside Classic. The win was Iden Amrak’s third from ten starts. He is a bay colt by Major in Art from the good race mare Iden Countess, who has produced three winners from her first four foals. Iden Amrak is raced by M.R., S.J. & T.A. Heenan, trained by Christian Salter and was driven by Gareth Rattray.