Harness trainer Eric Jacobson and driver Ricky Duggan have forged a great partnership over the years and at Tattersall’s Park in Hobart tonight the combination has the chance to take out the opening race on the eight-event program.
Duggan will drive Jacobson’s lightly raced three-year-old Metro Master in the Firewood Hotline 3YO Pace (race 2) over 2090 metres.
Metro Master has had only 12 starts for one win, which was in Hobart in a 2YO race over 1609m on August 21, but the gelding also has notched six minor placings that has helped boost his career stake earnings to beyond $10,000.
Duggan has driven the gelding at his past two outings and that should have been enough to learn the horse’s idiosyncrasies.
Metro Master (Metropolitan-Missys Ticket) has shown decent gate speed at his past two outings so if he can follow suit here and hold the lead he will be hard to beat as Duggan is one of the best front-running drivers in the state.
There is speed from outside with Majestic Art (Adrian Duggan) and Lilbitachickenfried (Rohan Hillier) sure to make a bit to find the front.
Lilbitachickenfried (Elsu-Flo Jo Fernandez) has only faced the starter twice for a debut win and a last-start second of six behind Willbe Doc, a race in which Metro Master finished third.
They appear to be the best winning chances so maybe the best way to go from a punting perspective would be to take the three in a box trifecta and quinella and have something each-way on Metro master and back the other two for a place.
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