The Sires’ Stakes series came to a close for the season in Devonport on Sunday night.
Still Hungover completed the Bandbox – Granny Smith double while Pardoe Plugga brought home a north-west quinella in the Raider Stakes.
The country harness racing period kicks off in Burnie on Friday night before a Tier One meeting in Hobart on Sunday evening.
The Stars
Pardoe Plugga – took out the Group 2 Maxfield Drilling Raider Stakes at only his third race track appearance. The pacer who was well back and very wide leaving the back straight was able to get the job done nicely for driver Ben Parker and comeback trainer Leigh Rand.
Pardoe Plugga (Ben Parker) wins the Raider Stakes in Devonport.
Still Hungover– almost threw the Group 2 Collins Homes Granny Smith away on two occasions. However, she was still able to score in the $50,000 feature for trainer Rodney Ashwood, and driver Ricky Duggan who has won more Tasmanian Sires’ Stakes races than any other driver.
Lip Reader – after ending up three-back on the pegs trainer-driver Rohan Hillier was able to find clear racing room over the final 400 metres to score in the N.W.T.L.H.A Cup. The pacer is another we can add to the list that is headed to the Golden Apple in Launceston.
Tammy Langley – trained her first winner when Upanatom scored in the claiming event, courtesy of a drive with initiative by her son Dylan Ford in the middle stages of the race.
Multiple Winners
Hobart – Friday evening
Ricky Duggan – driving treble; Tracer Bullet, North Star Lad and Helikaon.
Mark Yole – driving double; Jakes A Joy and Armchair Drive.
Devonport – Sunday evening
John Walters – driving double; Barooga Rock and Ideal Karalta.
Troy McDonald – driving double; Kiavino Stride and Hez The One.
Ben Yole – training double; Kiavino Stride and Hez The One
Calculated Sectional Standouts
Quickest last halves (800m) from last week’s action.
Hobart – Friday evening
Salvator Mundi 56.48s, Proficient 56.73s, North Star Lad 56.93s, War Chest 57.04s and Live For Peace 57.10s.
Devonport – Sunday evening
Racketeers Boy 57.43s, Kiavino Stride 58.00s, Shadow Ross 58.07s, Proficient 58.63s and Hez The One 58.66s.
View all available Tasmanian Sectional Data by clicking here.
Tasracing Official Price
Hobart – Friday evening
Hit: Armchair Drive $3.20 into $2.80.
Defied the Drift: Tracer Bullet $7.00 out to $8.00, Victoria Pass $3.60 out to $4.40, North Star Lad $5.50 out to $7.50, Wandary Muscat $4.40 out to $7.50, Helikaon $1.85 out to $2.05 and Murry $2.80 out to $3.10.
Missed: Mozasu $4.20 into $3.80, Rocknroll Music $13 into $8.00, Pink Ponder $8.00 into $5.50, Sharmey $2.20 into $1.70, Gipsy Treasure $5.0 into $3.50, Black Ops $5.50 into $4.60 and Lucky Pats Son $7.0 into $6.00.
Devonport – Sunday evening
Hit’s: Barooga Rock $7.50 into $4.80, Still Hungover $1.90 into $1.70, Lip Reader $2.90 into $2.60, Ideal Karalta $10 into $9.00 and Hez The One $18 into $15.
Defied the Drift: Kiavino Stride $4.60 out to $5.50, Chris Be Quick $7.00 out to $8.50, Pardoe Plugga $5.50 out to $6.50 and Upanatom $9.00 out to $10.
Missed: Nine Diamonds $11 into $4.60, Mister Gently $3.30 into $2.90, Chilla Breeze $6.50 into $3.70 and Proficient $10 into $3.80.
Trial File
Carrick Park – Monday evening
Hezatoff recorded the quickest winning mile rate of the session in 2m 4.3s for the mile trip, where he was the highest-rated pacer in the trial at 64 with some of his rivals some 14 points lower.
Driver Sam Gangell took the pacer straight to the lead where he dictated affairs and was not knocked about over the concluding stages when proving way too good for his rivals which included Le Wi Bulent by 10 metres and New Girlfriend a further 10 metres away third in a 60.5s last half mile,
Other winners included Artiflash (2m 12.7s), Hillbilly Band (2m 9.4s) and Winknblink (2m 5.8s).
King Island – Wednesday evening
Results of the three trials were unavailable at the time of publication, the clubs first meeting has been pushed back by one week and will now be held on 5 December.
You can view the trials held on mainland Tasmania by clicking here.
FORMPLUS Black Booker
Juniper
Is only rated 53 and has been runner-up to Still Hungover (rated 73) in the heat and final of the Granny Smith series. Admittedly she has enjoyed soft runs on the peg, but she tried hard in Devonport on Friday night to only be defeated 5.8 metres and will be better suited back in her own rating group in coming weeks.
Week Ahead
Burnie is the venue for harness racing on Friday night where the $8,199 Cables Plus (TAS) Liza Storm is the feature race on the seven-event card.
The race, which was redrawn since the original fields were released, is for maidens and sees a few mixed form lines with horses coming out of the Group 2 Bandbox and some on debut including Troublenstrife and Tisu Sky.
There aren’t too many certainties in racing, but one thing is for sure is that trainer Ben Yole will win the first race of the night which is set down for 18:16.
If you only watch one race in Tasmania this weekend, then you better make sure it is Sunday night’s free-for-all in Hobart.
The Rohan Hillier-trained and driven Ryley Major returns to the track and has drawn gate five, while last start Danbury Park Cup winner Ignatius has drawn barrier six, with Gareth Rattray to have his first drive on the multiple Group 1 winner, replacing the suspended Todd Rattray.
But those two pacers won’t get it easy with Call Me Hector almost unbeatable when being able to lead drawing barrier two, with The Shallows who was runner-up to Ignatius last start drawing the pole and should be able to get a gun run on the back of the leader.
Blackbird Power, No Spring Secrets and The Shady One are the remaining three runners in the race, and they would not surprise in what should be a truly run race.
The eight-race Hobart card commences at 17:24.
It is a big weekend of harness racing at Melton on both Friday and Saturday night with the finals of the Australasian Breeders Crown.
There is some Tasmanian flavour to the four-year-old entires and geldings trotter’s final with the Tasmanian Trotting Club owned Beau Garcon drawing barrier five.
Trained by Kate Hargreaves, the trotter has won three of his last six efforts, the most recent at Terang on 2 November.
Former Tasmanian Alex Ashwood has been booked for the drive.