It was a big night out for Beauty Point trainer-driver Rohan Hillier at the Launceston Pacing Club’s meeting at UBET Racing Centre on Sunday night. Rohan won the Island Block & Paving Two Year Old with the consistent Soho Shanghai ($1.50). The New Zealand-bred son of Art Major scored easily by eight metres in a mile rate of 2:00.1. It was the colt’s second win and three seconds from six life time starts.
Rohan’s second winner was on the long odds on favourite Jerry’s Jet ($1.00) in the Roberts 150 Years Pace. Jerry Jet led all the way to score by nine metres from his stablemate Four Ex Dan, who came from well back to finish the race off nicely. These two three-year-olds both look to have a big future. Jerry’s Jet a son of Jeremes Jet and the Jet Laag mare, Laagirl covered the 1680 metres at a 1:57.9 rate. He has now raced on eleven occasions for nine wins and two seconds and looks to have a mortgage on the upcoming $30,000 Globe Derby Stakes at UBET Racing Centre.
The Hillier stable’s third winner of the night was Ramplestilstskin in the UBET Racing Centre Stakes, getting up in the last stride to defeat Cranbre by a nose. The win was Ramplestilstskin’s third win in a row following two minor placings, he covered the 2200 metres in a 2:02 mile rate. Rohan Hillier just failed to drive his fourth winner for the night when Bisping, who was having his first race in the state, was beaten by a neck by Barooga Minnie in the Mitavite Stakes.
Barooga Minnie a very consistent filly raced and trained by Ian Abraham’s at Waterhouse on the East Coast, won her third race in a row following four seconds.The filly came from last on the turn for home and finished the race off well for Erin Holloway, who has driven her in all her wins.
Old Beach trainer Paul Hill had a night of ups and downs, his classy filly Chica Bella ($1.30) looked to have the $10,000 Premier’s Blue Bonnet in her keeping when she was leading the field, but then the sulky tyre came off the rim and she had to retire from the race. Victory went to the last start winner Tanamay ($39.70), who had a neck to spare from another last start winner in It’s Gemma Delight.
Paul is also a part owner with Charles and Connie Beadman in the very classy Jerry’s Jet, who he trained in his two year old campaign. The night finished for Hill when he drove Thirlstane King to a thrilling dead heat with Fundamentalist in the Nichols Sound & Comm Stakes for Cressy trainer Geoff Madden.
By Peter Cooley