Well the news is out… Santa Claus is coming to town and just before he arrives I would like to take the opportunity to wish everyone a merry Christmas and please stay safe and enjoy the time with your family.
I hope you have enjoyed all the happenings in the harness world reported here at Keeping Pace and we look forward to 2019 to give us some more action.
Last Tuesday night saw the Tamworth Paceway close out 2018 with Queensland trainer and reinswoman Lola Weidemann “bookending” the meeting after starting with a win in the opening event - the TAB.Com.Au Ladyship Pace with Dalacos Empress before stablemate Prettycompact took out the Merry Christmas From Tamworth Harness Club Pace to round out the night.
Mitch Faulkner picked up another win for the Ernie Mabbott stables with Hedges Avenue in the Lounges Plus After Christmas Sale Starts Boxing Day Pace. Faulkner also enjoyed hearing the news that Lumos, who he trains, picked up a win at Albion Park driven by Pete McMullen earlier in the night with a mile rate of 1.54.4 for 1660m.
Ladies once again showed they rule, driving half the program.
Stacey Weidemann put Tamworth trainer Peter Rippon back into the winner’s circle after He’s Novak won the Thrifty Car & Truck Rental Tamworth Pace. He’s Novak has only had two race starts for Rippon which saw a second at Tamworth last start before the win on Tuesday night for the former South Australia pacer.
Madi Young was also in the winner’s circle at Tamworth with a win behind Pay Me The Change for the Greg Coney stables after driving a winner at the Parkes meeting on Sunday behind the Rodney Lemon-trained Alabama Ace.
Narrabri trainer Jarred Hetherington also had a training double at the Tamworth meeting with Tap It In followed by stablemate Lexy Can Wait who won the Christmas Gift Box Pace by 30.4m as well as setting a new track record of 1.55.1 for 1609m.
Kudos Bert finally had some luck goes his way with a win for the Dean Chapple stables.
THE big $500,000 Group 1 Inter Dominion Final for 2018 was contested last Saturday night at Melton in Victoria with NSW-trained Tiger Tara the winner just over Bathurst pacer Our Uncle Sam from the Chris and Anthony Frisby stables.
Within the first 300m, Tiger Tara and reinsman Todd McCarthy held the top.
The win for Tiger Tara came with a mile rate of 1:53.9 which saw a new track record established after destroying the mile rate set by Lazarus of 1:54.1.
The Inter Dominion triumph takes reinsman Todd McCarthy’s tally to four Group One winners with Tiger Tara’s trainer Kevin Pizzuto having three of those wins.
WELL done also to Jemma Howard-Coney, daughter of Tamworth trainer Greg Coney who won the Shetland’s Gannon’s Pony Trot Inter Dominion with Secret Mission.
HARNESS racing will resume at Tamworth for 2019 with the club’s big racing carnival starting on Sunday, January 6 with heats of the Three-Year-Old Star Maker with a welcome to new sponsor Pitt Express.
Wednesday, January 16 will see the running of The Pub sponsored Gold Nugget. January 20 will see the heats of the Golden Guitar conducted and the Pitt Express Star Maker final.
January 24 will see the running of the $25,000 Golden Guitar Final being conducted with a welcome to new sponsor Hygain. That meeting will also see the Garrard’s Tamworth City Cup and the Hazels Local Trophy.
As an early Christmas present, the announcement came through this week that prizemoney for the Miracle Mile has now risen to a $1 million dollar prize purse and the Newcastle Mile has rise to a $100,000 race.
Merry Christmas.
