23 January 2020
by Duncan Dornauf for Tasracing

Oatlands trainer Matthew Cooper tasted metropolitan success at Melton last Friday evening when his pacer Call Me Hector led all the way to score in a $20,000 event in a slick mile rate of 1m 55.2s with former Tasmanian Justin Cambpell in the sulky.

Closer to home the first two-year-old race of the season was held in Launceston on Friday which was won by Yeah Mate before we headed to Devonport on Friday where there were many highlights.

This week we have a combined harness and greyhound meeting in Launceston on Friday night, the last meeting of the season on King Island Saturday before a great afternoon’s action in Hobart on Sunday.

The Stars

Yeah Mate – the Paul Ashwood-trained, Mick Maxfield owned and bred pacer was able to win on debut in the Keith Stanley Debutante Stakes, the first two-year-old race of the season in Launceston last Friday. Driven by Rohan Hillier, the gelded son of Western Terror was able to sit one-out and one-back before peeling three-wide at the top of the home straight to score by 5.3 metres in a mile rate of 2m 0.3s.

Vouvray Beach – the Rodney Ashwood-trained pacer was able to lead all the way in Devonport on Sunday to score in the Ladbrokes Mares Incentive after burning the candle at both ends of the race. The daughter of Somebeachsomewhere is starting to wind down her racing career as she is currently in foal to Betting Line.

Somedan – recorded back to back victories when he led all the way in the Roberts Rural Pace, the field saw many that would be on a path to the Devonport Cup with Somedan able to defeat $91.00 outsider and stablemate Perfect Mach by a short half head with Poker Storm 7.9 metres away third. Somedan was driven by Troy McDonald and was one of five-weekend winners for trainer Ben Yole.

Geoff Smith – left the Devonport card on Sunday with a training double. Laid Back Kenny scored a 20.4-metre victory in the S & M Horse Transport Pace with Conor Crook in the sulky before Chris Be Quick defeated Midair Meltdown by a short half-head in the Collins Homes Pace which was a stable quinella for Smith.

Marc Butler – trained the first winner on the card at both the Launceston and Devonport meetings. Beachboy Butch recorded back to back wins in Launceston on Friday with A Spanish Dance winning first up in his care in Devonport on Sunday by 13.4 metres in a handy mile rate of 2m 0.3s, both winners were driven by Ricky Duggan.

Multiple Winners

Launceston – Friday evening

Ben Yole – training double; Rocknroll Music and Just Say Go,

Taylor Ford – double; drove Just Say Go and trained Ark Fury.

King Island – Saturday afternoon

Graeme Keeley – training double; Stevie Jolt and Ruffalo.

Devonport – Sunday evening

Ricky Duggan – driving double; A Spanish Dance and Vouvray Beach,

Geoff Smith – training double; Laid Back Kenny and Chris Be Quick,

Ben Yole – training treble; Frostyflyer, Someday and Coveffe Hustler.

Calculated Sectional Standouts

Quickest last halves (800m) from last week’s action.

Launceston – Friday evening

Beachboy Butch 55.24s, Witch Master 56.07s, Southern Gnp 56.32s, Alaphilippe 56.46s and Jimmy De Panda 57.52s.

Devonport – Sunday evening

A Spanish Dance 58.00s, Ready To Fire 58.02s, Chilla Breeze 58.25s, Illegal Immigrant 58.44s and Hafter 58.50s.

Tasracing Official Price

Launceston – Friday evening

Hit’s: Just Say Go $9.00 into $7.50 and Ark Fury $7.00 into $6.00.

Defied The Drift: Beachboy Butch $3.40 out to $5.00, Iden Forest $4.20 out to $5.00, Yeah Mate $4.40 out to $4.80, Rocknroll Music $7.50 out to $10.00 and Paint The Wind $4.80 out to $5.50.

Missed: Raffaello $31.00 into $18.00, Alaphilippe $14.00 into $7.00, Rainbow Phoenix $5.50 into $4.20, Rocknovertime $4.40 into $3.30, Im Full Tilt $6.50 into $5.00, Cardinal Spec $12.00 into $8.50 and Sermac $3.00 into $2.50.

Devonport – Sunday evening

Hit’s: A Spanish Dance $4.60 into $2.70 and Frostyflyer $4.20 into $2.70.

Defied The Drift: Chris Be Quick $8.50 out to $14.00.

Missed: Mostly Spirit $15.00 into $10.00, Tarleton Riley $18.00 into $10.00, The Lemondrop Kid $9.00 into $7.50, Goggo Gee Gee $15.00 into $10.00, Perfect Mach $151.00 into $81.00, Blackbird Power $41.00 into $17.00, Just Say Go $5.00 into $3.60, War Dan Star $4.80 into $4.00 and Blossom Grant $4.00 into $3.60.

Trial File

Carrick Park – Monday evening

The Rohan Hadley-trained, Rohan Hillier driven Believe In Forever recorded the quickest winning mile rate of the night when he scored a two-metre victory in a rating 64 to 86 trial.

Believe In Forever, a gelded son of Rock N Roll Heaven rated 2m 2.8s after racing behind the leader at the bell to hold off All Style Sammy and Border Cross.

Hadley drove Secluded Beach, a stablemate to Believe In Forever who broke gear in the trial and finished some 40 metres behind the winner.

Other winners included; Im Barney Rubble 2m 13.7s, Ima Birubi Boy 2m 12.3s, De Marco Beach 2m 17.1s, Machbev 2m 19.7s, The New Man 2m 6.8s, Jimmy Smalls 2m 6.7s and Tisu Spirit 2m 6.1s.

Week Ahead

The Launceston Pacing Club and Launceston Greyhound Racing Club will stage a combined race meeting on Friday night with seven pacing races to be staged on Sky Racing 2.

The first harness event kicks off at 17:48.

On Saturday afternoon the King Island Racing Club will stage their last meeting of the season with two harness races and five thoroughbred races making up the seven-race card.

Sunday afternoon the action turns to Hobart with the Top Of The Town Bakery New Norfolk Pacing Cup, Toreace Flying Mile, E C Plunkett Memorial and the Art Meeker Memorial Matron Stakes all $12,000 features on the program that commences at 13:24.

The meeting will feature a hosted live stream service on TasracingTV.

Interstate at metropolitan venues some of our Tasmanian representatives include the last start Melton winner Call Me Hector who lines up in the Group 2 Mercury 80 Final over 1200 metres in Melton on Saturday night, which is the middle night of the Summer Of Glory carnival.

Owned and trained by Matthew Cooper of Oatlands, Call Me Hector will start from barrier seven in the event that is due to start at 19:33.

Melton – Saturday night

Race 4 (Group 2) Horse 8 Call Me Hector,

Race 5 (Group 1) Horse 7 Max Delight.

Menangle – Saturday night 

Race 3 Horse 9 No Apachemee,

Race 8 (Group 3) horse 3 Harjeet and Horse 9 Ignatius.