It is Carnival of Cups time for the Narrabri Harness Racing Club and the scheduled eight race program on Sunday afternoon is shaping up to be one of the more notable meetings staged by the club.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Tamworth trainer Tony Missen is out to take home his fair share of the prizemoney after qualifying in two Finals after contesting heats at the club's Easter Monday meeting - the John Dean Memorial and the Santos Cup.
Hand Writer, a four-year-old Sportswriter mare was having her first race start for the Missen stables in taking out the Tourist Hotel and Luke McGrath Farrier Services John Dean Memorial Heat 1 with reinsman Blake Hughes savouring his first visit to the Paceway and picking up a win at his first drive.
READ ALSO:
"I haven't been here before to Narrabri and my first drive is a winner," said Hughes, who went on to pick up a driving double later in the meeting.
From the eight barrier Hughes placed Hand Writer four back in the outside running line before a four-wide run around the final turn to sprint down the home straight.
Both horse and reinsman picked up their first win in the 1760 metre race with a 4.4 metre win over Miss Social Media (Dean Chapple). Blissful Identity (Scotty-Jon Welsh) was another 5.5 metres away third.
"I have only had the mare for about three weeks and she seems to have a lot of depth about her" stated the mare's trainer," Missen said after the win.
"She came home well down the home straight and she is only a little light thing."
Missen fondly remembered the strong association the late John Dean held with the Narrabri Club as a past President and committee man.
"John was a stalwart of the club," he said.
"I can still hear his voice saying "bring them up now drivers" - he didn't need a microphone."
Hand Writer has drawn the four barrier in the $10,000 final with McGrath being the grandson of the late John Dean.
Missen also has In A Lucky Place engaged in the final and has drawn the two barrier after finishing second in her heat.
Feel The Spirit, trained by Norm Soles at Tamworth, impressed reinsman Tom Ison in taking out the second heat.
"She travelled well in the race," Ison said of the four-year-old Mr Feelgood mare.
"And she really knuckled down good and held on for the finish."
Feel The Spirit notched up her first career win at only her third race start in taking out the second heat of the John Dean Memorial.
"For the first 1200 metres of the race she was racing outside the leader," Ison said.
Feel The Spirit held on for a neck win over the In A Lucky Place (Blake Hughes) with Narrabri trained-Miss Maravu (Murray Sullivan) from the Jarred Hetherington stables 3.7 metres away third.
"She has got good gate speed to cross the field and I think she will be hard to beat," Ison added.
"Norm (Soles) is really happy with the mare"
Feel The Spirit will commence from the six barrier with Ison to take the reins.
Missen will then be keen to see how I'm So Better - who has scored the visitors draw of barrier 10 - fairs in the $11,000 Santos Cup after a 17-metre win over Just Tommy (Sam Ison) and Overthemoon (Tom Ison) in the second heat, which gave Hughes his second winning drive at the meeting.
The Caitlin McElhinney-trained and driven Akuma has drawn the one barrier after winning the first heat.
The $10,000 Shop 2390 Narrabri Cup will have three last start winners with Manly Boy (Dean Chapple) backing up from a win at Dubbo, Datizit (Madi Young) a last start winner at Narrabri last Monday and Rocknroll DaGama (Lola Weidemann) at Marburg.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark northerndailyleader.com.au
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News