Tasracing

Three-year-old filly Nancys Baby made a winning debut in Burnie last night when the daughter of Pet Rock took out the feature race on the card, the Cables Plus Liza Storm.

Driver Gareth Rattray was able to hold the lead on the $3.00 chance from the pole draw in the 2180-metre event under mobile start conditions, and she proved too good for her rivals late to defeat Wheresmilzee and Blossom Grant.

“She has good manners, a bit of gate speed and barrier one helped around this track and we dashed home our last lap well so she always going to be hard to beat,” said driver Gareth Rattray post-race.

“I think she will continue to improve, she can get a bit fitter yet as she is not fully wound up, there are a few wins in her yet, with her good manners on these tight tracks it plays into her favour a bit,” added Rattray about the Melissa Maine trained pacer.

Nancys Babe continued a good run for owners Jill and Reginald Brown who have owned Chadwicks Road, Nanceys Delight and Bettabrown Tiger with all those pacers also winning at their race track debuts.

It had been a while between drinks since Latrobe trainer Brett Jaffray had been in the winner’s circle but that’s where he was celebrating after Island Bliss scored in the Lottah Mining Stakes.

Driver Todd Rattray was able to ping straight to the early lead on the daughter of Roll With Joe in the 1892-metre standing start event to record her first win since 30 November last year, which was also on the Burnie track.

“We normally wait to bring the horses back into work till after the local footy season finishes but we decided to bring her back into work a bit earlier as we wanted her to be ready for Burnie as she is a good standing start horse,” explained trainer Brett Jaffray.

“We elected not to trial her as she goes well fresh and we came here hoping for a good draw which we got tonight,” added the winning trainer.

Island Bliss is now the winner of six races from 34-starts with three of those wins being in standing start races and Jaffray doesn’t plain to changer that winning formula.

“We will just aim her at the standing start races on the country tracks over the summer months,” said the winning trainer.

Ben Yole trained 10-winners on the Burnie track last season and he was the standout trainer of the first meeting of the new season with a training treble.

Altana Blue, driven by Mark Yole was the first of Yole’s winners.

The gelded son of Stonebridge Regal was left carting up the second division of the field over the first circuit before racing outside of the leader for the remainder of the race before being too strong for his rivals over the concluding stages.

Falcon Seelster gelding Chilla Breeze produced one of the toughest performances of night when racing outside of the leader in the Relay For Life Stakes over 2500-metres with Samantha Gangell in the sulky.

Gangell was also in the winner’s circle when Weerrook Harry scored the narrowest of wins in the Poly Welding Solutions Pace, with the gelded son of Artesian also racing outside the leader throughout.

Concession driver Charlie Castles warmed up for next weeks first round of heats of the 6ty° Youngbloods Challenge in the Crusty’s Bakery & Cafe Stakes when he weaved his way through the field to score on $10 chance Rollon Jack.

The win of Rollon Jack was the first leg of a training double for Northdown trainer Geoff Smith who also prepared the last race winner Laid Back Kenny.

It wasn’t a smooth start for the B.H.R.C season with drivers Kyle Pratten and Conor

Crook being dislodged from their sulkies soon after the start was effected in race one.

In what ended up being declared a false start, Pratten’s drive, Shadow Affair was declared a late scratching, while Cooks charge, Lake Eyre took part in the rerun of the event.

Both Pratten and Crook were passed clear by the Medical Edge staff to fulfil their remaining drives on the card.

Watch Charlie Castles weave his way through the field to score on Rollon Jack in Race 2: