The last of four Burnie meetings for this season was held at the Wivenhoe Showgrounds on Friday night and many of the winners demonstrated their affinity with the 607 metre circuit.
City Babe (Sam Freeman) started the trend in the first when the 5YO came from well back at the bell to win the MDC Mechanical Pace in a blanket finish from Lifeiswhathappens (Dylan Ford) and Red Sun Bliss (Kristy Grant). The Brooke Hammond trained mare has a season record of 9 – 2 – 1 – 2 and both wins have been at Burnie.
Esquivo continued the pattern in the second. The 4YO Craig Hayes driven gelding settled worse than midfield but Hayes got a perfect three wide cart into the race and Esquivo did the rest by sprinting clear of Touchwood Topsta (Clinton Woods) and Inner City (Shane Boon). Esquivo’s only prior win was at Burnie on 6 February 2015. The Burnie bond is even stronger for Ambleside (near Devonport) trainer Ron Mansfield as his four lifetime winners have all been at Burnie – Esquivo (twice), Boutique Art and Love This Life.
Gareth Rattray was the only trainer or driver to register a double. His first winner was for Latrobe trainer Neil Cameron when Holme On The Bayou sprinted three wide off the back straight and ran away from Netherby Road (Ben Parker) in the straight to win by eight metres. It was the first win for the 4YO ex Queensland gelding who had two unplaced starts in his home state. In seven subsequent Tasmanian runs, Holme On The Bayou has a win and three placings from the Cameron stable and his Burnie record is a win and two placings from three starts.
Laughyaheadoff (by Grinfromeartoear) probably does exactly that every time her trainer Alistair Woods enters the 3YO filly for a race meeting at Burnie. Laughyaheadoff began quickly to lead from the second line in the Dowling McCarthy Three Year Old and withstood a challenge from backmarker Always A Show (Craig Hayes) to win by five metres. It was the second lifetime win for Laughyaheadoff. The other was at the same Burnie meeting last year in the $7,000 Liza Storm.
Regal Idea led throughout to win the Bob French Memorial (C3 and better stand). The Michael Dornauf trained 4YO gelding has four wins this season and three have been at Burnie. Four of his six lifetime wins have been at the Wivenhoe Showgrounds and Michael’s nephew Duncan Dornauf has been the driver on each occasion.