TAMWORTH Harness Racing Club is “getting closer” to its dream of a new paceway.
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A decade-long fight to have a new facility is edging closer to fruition, THRC director Mark Lowe, told The Leader this week after Harness Racing NSW officials had attended and conducted a prizemoney and programming information night in Tamworth this week.
“We are getting closer,” Lowe said of the proposed new site on the southern outskirts of the city.
“It’s been passed by council and just gone back to the State Government.
“After they okay it, we will submit a DA. That could be early August maybe. At least we have a time frame now.”
While the new track is nearing fruition, the THRC also had good news from Harness Racing NSW chairman Rex Horne, HRNSW directors Rod Smith and Chris Edwards and CEO Sam Nati on Tuesday.
From September 1, prizemoney will increase across the board.
All $3000 races at Tamworth will now rise to $4000.
All others will increase on a sliding scale, from $5000, $6000 or $7000.
At feature meetings, races will increase from $6000 to $8000.
Meanwhile, Kemira Cause returned to his best form when he held on for a narrow win in Thursday’s TAB Rewards Pace at Tamworth Paceway.
A winner at Tamworth three starts back, he had disappointed in subsequent runs at his home track for Tamworth trainer Ian “Ernie” Mabbott.
“He’s not a bad little horse,” driver Dean Chapple said.
“I thought I was going to win by 20m but then he got the staggers. I’m not sure whether he got tired or switched off but he just fell in.”
The three-year-old gelding son of Ifihadyourluck beat Moraes (Aaron Garaty) by a neck in a 2mins 1.1secs over the 1609m to register a third win for Mabbott.
“He goes well,” Mabbott said.
“He’s a horse you’ve got to niggle all the way, and Dean does that well.”
Kemira Cause may well start at Tamworth again on Sunday June 29 while stablemate, No Confessions, could be back at Menangle that same night for the final of a race he contested a heat of last week.
“He got beaten going 1:55,” Mabbott said.
Mabbott has been having a great season with a good team of horses.
That was in contrast to Chapple’s trip to Newcastle last Friday night where everything that could go wrong did.
Chapple admitted being miserable Saturday morning as well as a little sore after being tipped out of the gig early on at Newcastle.
He was hoping for a better day Thursday and he was back to his chirpy best after securing a driving treble.
After driving Kemira Cause to victory, he piloted Artsu to an effortless win before snaring the last with Shine On Wicklow.
He trains Artsu and Shine On Wicklow.
Lola Weidemann also finished with a treble after winning with Itaintrocketscience, Dancing Cam and Pepperall.
She and her sister, Julie, prepare their team at Clifton, near Toowoomba.