There was no one happier on track than New Norfolk trainer Thomas Jackson after Finn Mac Kee scored a runaway win in the 2020 Top Of The Town Bakery New Norfolk Pacing Cup in Hobart on Sunday afternoon.
The win was one of many highlights across the weekend.
This weekend the Hardings Hotmix Devonport Pacing Cup is the feature event of the Devonport Harness Racing Club’s meeting on Sunday night.
Launceston will hold a race meeting on Friday evening with the temperature expected to be around the mid-thirties when the first race is scheduled to start.
The Stars
Finn Mac Kee – gave trainer Thomas Jackson and driver Paul Hill their first hometown cup, when Finn Mac Kee scored a dominant win in the New Norfolk Pacing Cup in Hobart on Sunday afternoon. The gelding sat one-out and one-back in the 3060-metre trip before Hill said go at the 600-metre mark where Finn Mac Kee sprinted away to score by 18.6 metres in a new track record of 2m 2.2s.
Ryley Major – was dominant once again when breaking the $200,000 Prize Money barrier when scoring in the Toreace Flying Mile. Trainer-driver Rohan Hillier rolled forward from outside of the front row to find the lead and score in a mile of 1m 55.8s. The $25,000 Hobart Pacing Cup on 7 February is the next target for our local star.
El Jays Mystery – looked very well placed off the front mark in the Art Meeker Memorial Matron Stakes and the Dick Eaves trained mare didn’t let favourite punters down with a tough victory in the 2579 metre standing start event. After being crossed soon after the start driver Troy McDonald was able to work off the pegs and find the spot outside the leader in the strong wind conditions. The six-year-old mare proved too tough late for the early leader Sweet Luck with Still Hungover third.
The Shallows – was arguably the run of the meeting when winning the E. C. Plunkett Memorial. Trainer-driver Heath Woods took off four-wide at the 1250-metre mark before restraining to the tail at the bell. The four-year-old gelding was seven-wide at the top of the home straight where he ran past a field full of progressive talent to score by 3.1-metres.
Malcom Jones – the sixteen-year-old registered his first win on King Island on Saturday aboard Mi Ju Dan who is trained by his father Mark. Saturday’s meeting was the Island’s last meeting of the season.
Multiple Winners
Launceston – Friday evening
Ben Yole – training quartet; My Ultimate Major, Frostyflyer, Give Me The Night and Island Rocknroll.
Gareth Rattray – driving double; Give Me The Night and Remember Joe.
Hobart – Sunday afternoon
Rohan Hillier – training and driving double; Lip Reader and Ryley Major,
Ben Yole – training double; Guys Bettor Bet and Heidi Go Seek.
Calculated Sectional Standouts
Quickest last halves (800m) from last week’s action.
Launceston – Friday evening
Island Rocknroll 57.60s, Mach Charm 57.87s, Remember Joe 58.29, Coveffe Hustler 58.32s and Heidi Go Seek 58.53s.
Hobart – Sunday afternoon
Jack Len 56.46s, Star Chamber 56.93s, No Spring Secrets 57.00s, Ryley Major 57.11s and The Shallows 57.25s.
View all available Tasmanian Sectional Data by clicking here.
Tasracing Official Price
Launceston – Friday evening
Hit’s: Jimmy De Panda $4.60 into $4.00, Frosty Flyer $4.40 into $3.50 and Remember Joe $3.00 into $2.80.
Defied The Drift: Paint The Wind $8.00 out to $8.50.
Missed: Thatswatilike $8.50 into $4.60, Witch Master $17.00 into $9.00, My Ultimate Romeo $31.00 into $15.00, Guys Bettor Bet $17.00 into $8.50, Reign Of Pain $6.50 into $4.40, Monarkmac $4.00 into $3.60 and Jeans Mattjesty $9.00 into $6.50.
Hobart – Sunday afternoon
Hit’s: Radiant Red $8.50 into $7.50, Lip Reader $2.80 into $2.50 and El Jays Mystery $2.15 into $1.85.
Defied The Drift: The Shallows $3.20 out to $3.70 and Heidi Go Seek $3.50 out to $7.00.
Missed: Missin Rock $8.00 into $5.50, Sweet Luck $16.00 into $12.00, Frosty Flyer $26.00 into $14.00 and Ark Fury $11.00 into $5.50.
Trial File
Hobart – Monday evening
Five-year-old gelding Streitkid was the only winner of the five trials staged on Monday night to break two-minutes when he rated 1m 59.7s when winning a rating 60 to 83 trial.
The gelding was driven by his trainer Paul Hill who led all the way to defeat Blame It On Me by eight metres with Flight Officer a further two-metres away third.
Other winners at the session included; Real Diamond (2m 6.2s), Iden Reactor (2m 10.4s), Hit The Lights (2m 7.5s) and Spoilt Sport (2m 3.8s).
Devonport – Monday evening
Five trials were held on Monday where Sunny Sanz scored a six-metre win over Gotta Good Reason and Lake Eyre.
Sunny Sanz was able to lead and record a mile rate of 2m 3.2s for the 2286 metre trip under standing start conditions.
Remaining trials were won by; Melnrowley (2m 13.2s), Ideal Fella (2m 8.9s), Supreme Banner (2m 6.1s) and Bettabrown Tiger (2m 3.7s).
Week Ahead
Launceston race tomorrow evening with the first of seven races commencing at 17:50.
The meeting features two heats of the Harry Holgate Memorial were last start winners Lip Reader and Vouvray Beach clash in heat one.
In heat two talented pacers Bettabrown Tiger and Resurgent Storm will be looking to bounce back into the winners list from handy front row draws. Both pacers finished down the track at their most recent starts after doing plenty of work in the early and middle stages.
All races will be shown on Sky Racing 1 with new race times being; Race 1: 18.37, Race 2: 19:00, Race 3: 19.33, Race 4: 20.03, Race 5: 20.33, Race 6: 21:03 and Race 7: 21:33.
Sunday evening at the Devonport Showgrounds we see the running of the Devonport Pacing Cup, once again sponsored by long time sponsors Hardings Hotmix.
The Cup has attracted such an even field with the favourite being Illegal Immigrant at $4.50, who ironically was a beaten favourite in the race last year when starting at $4.00.
Interstate raider Smart Little Shard sits on the second line of betting at $5.50 from Im Jaks Teller at $6.00, Pachacuti $7.00, Full Speed Ahead $8.00, Dasher Houli $8.50 with Ideal World at $9.50 the only other runner in single figures.
The meeting, which is the first in the state for “Team Teal” for 2020 also sees the running of the Jeremy Rockliff Coastal Pacing Thousand, Tas Freight Dash For Cash and the C.U.B Belmont.
The action will be shown on Sky Racing 1 and Live Hosted on TasracingTV.
Some horses with a Tasmanian connection this weekend include;
Melton – Saturday night
Race 1 Horse 4 Blingittothemax,
Race 3 Horse 7 Offthetopofmyhead.
Menangle – Saturday night
Race 5 Horse 1 Zhukov Leis.