Wedding bells will soon be chiming for reinswoman Stacey Weidemann, who will miss next Friday night's Tamworth meeting as she prepares to tie the knot with Clay Smith.
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Weidemann enjoys driving winners in the North West and recently received The Pub Drive of the Year for the 2018-19 season at Tamworth.
Keeping Pace would like to wish Stacey and Clay all the best for their future. And yes, there is a honeymoon on the agenda, so Stacey may be missing for a couple of meetings.
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THE Dubbo Harness Racing Club welcomed the announcement through the week that their time-honoured race - the Red Ochre Mares Classic - has now been elevated to Group 2 status and will carry prizemoney of $50,000. The race, which is normally staged in May, will now be held on December 1 with all other races on that meeting to carry a $10,000 purse.
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This year's running of the Red Ochre Mares race will be 20th instalment with Candyrama being the first winner back when the prizemoney was $8,000.
Dubbo will now join the list of Group 2 features, alongside the Group 2 Shirley Turnbull Memorial (Bathurst) on Boxing Day, followed by the Group 2 Golden Guitar at Tamworth in January.
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WITH only the one starter at last week's Tamworth harness meeting, resident trainer Tony Missen had it all wrapped up in the opening event with the win of Believe In Heaven.
The Rock N Roll Heaven gelding was having his sixth race start and second win under Missen's training with the gelding raced by his wife Joy and her mother Betty Pollard.
"It was a super win and a perfect drive - worked out good," added Missen after the win, with Maitland reinsman Blake Hughes handling the reins.
I Am The Joker (Brad Elder) headed up the field while Believe In Heaven was racing second last.
Placing in a run four wide around the field, Hughes had Believe In Heaven ready to pounce before coming away for a 2.9 metre win over race favourite Point Oh Five (Tom Ison), with White Wash (Dean Chapple) a further seven metres away in third place.
"He went good and got a good cart into the race - once I pulled him out, he sprinted good," said Hughes.
"He was still getting home on the line. As soon as I pulled him out, I knew I had the leader (Point Oh Five) covered and he would go on with the run."
It was an all-the-way win for Our Girl Harlow in the North West Contribution to Harness Racing-Ian "Spud" Verning Ladyship Pace last week at Tamworth.
The four-year-old Art Major mare finally produced her first career win at race start 13.
"She has been knocking on the door, and the barrier draw certainly helped - she is going well," stated trainer and reinsman Richard Williams, with Our Girl Harlow commencing from the three barrier and finding the lead as the barriers pulled away.
From eight starts for the stables, Our Girl Harlow had made four placings before the win.
"It was a good run, although I was a bit worried as she is lazy in front," said Williams. "But she travelled really well. She was off the bit and doing it easy, she had them covered. She deserved the win"
The next Tamworth harness meeting will be on November 15.