In Brief
- Somedan chasing on trial for possible Devonport Cup start.
- Ideal World joins the Yole stable.
- Yole gives a strong push for Mach Charm in the final race.
For the month of January, Tasmania’s leading trainer Ben Yole has been donating $50 for every winner he trains to the Red Cross Bushfire Appeal and the trainer looks set to add to that tally in Devonport tonight where his stable is represented in seven of the eight races.
Last start Hobart winner Somedan lines up in the Roberts Rural Pace, a discretionary handicap over 2645 metres with the race no doubt a warm-up for many pacers ahead of the Hardings Hotmix Devonport Pacing Cup on 2 February.
“He is going well and is always thereabouts,” said trainer Ben Yole about the winner of four races this season.
The pacer had been placed in three of his four starts before his win in Hobart last Sunday.
“I thought his run at Scottsdale was pretty good off the handicap, he was probably a bit stiff as the last bend is so tight and he couldn’t grab the leader,” said Yole.
“He won well in Hobart and I expect him to back up well on Sunday,” added the trainer who will be once again be driven by Troy McDonald.
Now rated at 83, Somedan is on the crisp of being a regular in free-for-all races in the state and his performance on Sunday will guide the trainer if he nominates for the Devonport Pacing Cup next month.
“He has got to the stage where he is that class, as long as he steps and is competitive on Sunday that will give us a guide to where he is at,” explained Yole, who also puts the polish on Ideal World who is being aimed at the Cup, the gelded son of American Ideal faces a 10-metre handicap on Sunday.
Ideal World winning the 2020 North Eastern Pacing Cup at Scottsdale.
Ideal World has had four starts in the state where he was cared for by Yole for South Australian trainer Aaron Bain with Yole now taking over the training of the pacer after his brilliant win in the North Eastern Pacing Cup at Scottsdale last week.
“He has been here a week before his first run in the Golden Apple heat,” said Yole about the pacer who was defeated a neck by Ryley Major in the $30,000 Final on 21 December before finishing down the track at Carrick Park two starts ago,” said the multiple premiership-winning trainer.
“We made a little mistake with him for his run at Carrick two starts ago and have learned from that and had him spot on last week where he rewarded the connections with the win … he worked well on Thursday morning, he felt sharp and I expect him to run a big race tonight,” he said about the seven-year-old pacer who will be driven by Gareth Rattray after driver Mark Yole has elected to drive the last start Launceston winner Sea Double Ugrant.
The two 20-metre handicap runners in the race Pachacuti and Illegal Immigrant appear to be the main dangers in the 2645 metre event.
Jakes A Joy winning in Hobart last Sunday.
Jakes A Joy will be aiming for a winning hattrick in the Maxfield Drilling Pace.
The Mister Big gelding won in Launceston two starts ago against a moderate field before scoring by just over four metres in Hobart last Sunday.
“Mark (Yole) said he surprised him last start in Hobart, he didn’t think he was going to get them, but he let down and won easily in the end,” said Ben.
“We are on top of a few niggling problems that he has had and is the soundest he has been … we have probably got his head right as we have been working him through the bush every day which has no doubt helped turn his form around,” explained Yole.
Yole gave a strong push for Mach Charm in the second last race of the night despite the second-row draw.
“She won two races pretty quick and last start she was defeated 10 metres in 1m 57.0s, this race looks more her class and I would be very surprised if she doesn’t run top three,” said the Sidmouth based trainer.
Yole is donating $50 for every winner he trains this month to the Red Cross Bushfire Appeal with two of his regular stable concession drivers, Troy McDonald and Sam Gangell also donating $50 for every winner they drive for the month.
“A lot of my owners are also contributing some of their winnings as well,” said Yole.
Tonights’s Devonport card commences at 17:59 with all races televised on Sky Racing 1 and Live Streamed on TasracingTV and the Sky Racing Active App.