In Brief
- Mares on show in Friday's main race.
- Yole stable out in force in feature.
- First race at 17:45.
Leading Tasmanian trainer, Ben Yole will be out to continue his terrific start to the 2021 harness racing season in Devonport on Friday night, where he plays a strong hand across the meeting, including the N.W.T.L.H.A Mares Feature.
Yole puts the polish on four of the seven runners in the four-year-old and older mares standing start event, including the two 20-metre backmarkers.
One of those is last start Launceston winner Rockinfeelgood who will be having her first standing start try after qualifying in a trial on Monday night when finishing 12.3-metres behind Scooterwillrev.
“We just gave her a slow getaway to qualifier her on Monday night, she is a really good pacer and a really relaxed sort of mare, so she should follow them out off the 20-metre handicap and I expect her to step well,” said trainer Ben Yole ahead of Friday night’s race.
The mare let down a strong finishing burst to score in Launceston on Sunday in a heat of the Australian Female Drivers Championship, where she scored in a mile rate of 1m 58.6s for her 12th career win.
“She is a nice mare who has got a good turn of foot, Narissa McMullen, who drove her last week, had a lot of good things to say about her, and I am pretty happy with things with her going forward,” added the trainer.
“As long as she is with them early, she should be very quick late,” said Ben, who has given the driving responsibilities to his brother Mark.
The other backmarker is the Conor Crook-driven Pink Ponder, who should appreciate taking on her own sex at a track where she has a 50% strike rate of finishing in the top three placings.
“They are the two class runners of the race, and one of them should be winning,” said Yole.
Yole has blasted out of the blocks strongly this season with 57 winners already to his tally.
“It has been a terrific start to the season, we have probably upped the standard of horse that we try to get, and I think that is showing,” said Yole.
Friday night’s seven-race card commences at 17:45 and can be caught on Sky Racing 2, except for race two which will be shown on Sky Racing 1. All races will be streamed on TasracingTV.
Watch Rockinfeelgood score in Launceston on Sunday.