STAR Tasmanian pacer Gedlee has taken no harm from his first tilt at Group 1 racing but connections are persisting with the plan to give him a short spell.
Gedlee finished a gallant fifth in the Tasmania Cup at Tattersall’s Park last Sunday night and lost no admirers in his endeavor to become the least experienced winner of the state’s most prestigious harness event.
The four-year-old entire was a C2 horse only three weeks prior to lining up in the Launceston Cup, in which the win gave him ballot-free entry into the Tasmania Cup.
While his draw was favorable in the Cup (2) he became the victim of circumstance in the run when forced to lead with the stablemate of the eventual winner poised to apply pressure which eventuated when the three-wide train started over a lap from home..
Add to that the inexperience of driver Sam Rawnsley, who might have gone for his charge a fraction early to put six metres on his rivals nearing the home turn, the overall result for Tasmanian harness racing was an emphatic big tick.
There are those who may harbor the thought of team driving and there are those who are of the opinion that it was the horse’s inexperience at the top level that brought about Gedlee’s demise.
But one thing for sure is that the horse finished fifth behind the winner Our Chain Of Command and the record books will only state that fact.
Gedlee gave his all for the 3000 local fans that piled into Tattersall’s Park to see the new kid on the block strut his stuff.
Many may have walked away feeling a bit jaded but they all will remember being a part of the throng that cheered at a deafening level when Gedlee burst clear turning for home.
Gedlee is 12 months away from being a superstar and remains the best, in this writer’s opinion, to step out on Tasmanian tracks since Halyer.
Trainer Phil Rawnsley has been jogging the stallion down for the past few days and on Friday the horse will be sent to the spelling paddock for three weeks on some lush grass.
Every code needs a hero and Tasmania is fortunate to have one in each code at present with Dream Pedlar to carry the hopes of all Tasmanians in the upcoming feature cups and Damek, while a luckless last in the recent Group 1 Hobart Thousand, has helped lift the profile of Tasmanian greyhound racing to another level since he began racing – Story by PETER STAPLES.