In Brief
- Ashwood and Hillier team up for first two-year-old.
- Iden Forest reminds us again of his ability.
- Double for Ford.
East Devonport trainer Paul Ashwood and owner-breeder Mick Maxfield have a strong record in finding talented young horses and another emerging smart youngster from their stables was in the winner’s circle in Launceston Friday, when Yeah Mate scored in the Keith Stanley Debutante Stakes.
From barrier two on the second-row driver, Rohan Hillier was able to position the gelded son of Western Terror one-out and one-back before working into the clear near the 300-metre mark where he held off $61.00 chance Our Ideal Fella by 5.3-metres with Who Said You Said a further 6.3-metres away third.
“He had been trialling well, after a quick first quarter he was always going to be hard to beat,” said driver Rohan Hillier after the race.
The race was run in a solid tempo early with quarters of 28.0s, 30.0s and 29.5s before a final quarter of 32.4s, the mile rate for the 1680 metres was 2m 0.3s.
“It’s a great result for Mick (Maxfield), he bred that one himself and I think he is breeding more again this season which is good to see,” added Hillier.
It was fitting that Tasracing announced a revamped Tasbred bonus system on the day of the first two-year-old race which sees a Tasbred pacer take home a $10,000 bonus for their first win as a two or three-year-old.
The next two-year-old race will be in Launceston on 31 January.
Iden Forest reminded punters of the ability he has when he scored a 20-metre win in the Tasmanian Horse Transport Pace.
Driver Matthew Howlett positioned the gelded son of Major in Art outside the leader at the mile mark and from there, the Chris Howlett trained pacer was too strong for his rivals in a mile rate of 2m 0.9s.
The Taylor Ford-trained Ark Fury broke his maiden status in the Longford Equine Clinic Pace.
Ben Woodsford positioned the pacer one-out and three-back in a race that should have suited the leaders after recording a first half-mile of 65.2s, but that wasn’t to be with Ark Fury proving too good by 1.6 metres over Jimmy De Panda with Karalta News 5.3 metres away third.
The win of Ark Fury completed a race-to-race double for trainer Taylor Ford who drove the Ben Yole trained Just Say Go to victory in the Elderslie Horse Care Stakes.
There was Tasmanian success at Melton last night with Oatlands trainer Matthew Cooper training his first interstate winner with Call Me Hector.
Driven by former Tasmanian Justin Campbell, Call Me Hector was able to find the lead after the first 350 metres of the event and Campbell allowed the pacer to roll along in front in quarters of 27.2s, 30.9s 28.7s and 29.1s for a mile rate of 1m 55.2s in the $20,000 event.
Call Me Hector finished second in a heat of the Mercury80 series which sees horses run over the 1200 metre trip with the $50,000 Group 2 Final to Call Me Hector’s next assignment on 25 January.