Hunter Valley reinsman Guy Chapple has been competing in the Golden Guitar heats and final series at Tamworth Paceway since he was a youngster.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
On Sunday he will be heading this way again to drive the smart Takara Truffle in the Prydes Easifeed Three Golden Guitar Heat 6.
“I started coming to Tamworth to the trots as a 10 year old with my parents and I started driving there when I was 18 years of age,” said Chapple, who is now in his forties.
“I love it – when I saw the 12 races on the program I thought it was like the good old days again.”
Chapple is also having a tilt of being the first person to drive the winner of the Golden Guitar Final on three occasions.
Neil Shannon delivered the first of Chapple’s winners back in 2006 and then Mach Beauty in 2013.
This year Chapple has the task of getting Takara Truffle into the $25,000 Final with the emerging filly trained at Singleton by Aaron Goadsby.
Takara Truffle is only a three-year-old and she is taking on some tough competition.
“She is as good a filly as I have ever driven for a while – and I have driven some nice ones – she is by far the best,” Chapple said.
“They are all good fields for the heats and she (Takara Truffle) has drawn good on paper - she should roll to the front.
“It is always a worry stepping up to compete against the older horses but she is pretty strong and fast.
“She has got good gate speed and handles the track well.”
Takara Truffle was bred and is raced by Charlie Shearer.
“Let’s hope she can get into the final,” Chapple added.
“The only time she has been beaten is when she went to Menangle.
“If she wins on Sunday it will then all come down to the barrier draw in the final.
“On paper those that should get in and if they do get into the final it will be a cracking race for sure – it’s a good race to be in.”
The Prydes Easifeed Golden Guitar Final is a Listed Classic race offering prizemoney of $25,000 and will be run on January 27.
Takara Truffle has had eight race starts for six wins with an enviable formline of a win at her first start at Bankstown followed by two wins on the trot at Tamworth before heading to Menangle where she finished fourth to Blue Moon Rising.
That was then followed by three wins on the trot – two at Maitland and one at Bathurst and last start finished fourth to the Mark Purdon trained Partyon where they ran a mile rate of 1.51.3 for 1609m at Menangle.
Takara Truffle is a dream machine with her best mile rate being recorded in her win at 1.55.6 with her win at Bathurst.
A big day of racing is timed to start at 3.52pm, with the last of 12 races set down for 9.33pm.