Race Meeting Report Thursday 18th April 2024

GREAT RESULT WINS AT TAMWORTH

Daniel Morgan had a great result at Tamworth on Sunday night – well it was Great Result that handed him the winner.
The young Hunter Valley reinsman accepted the drive behind Great Result for trainer Craig Clegg and the Bettors Delight-Two Mums eight year old mare produced her fifth win for the season in taking out the Vale N.J. "Billy" Barraclough Pace (1609m).
“She is a nice little sit and sprint horse and did that tonight” said Morgan who also received The Pub sponsored Drive of the Night for his efforts.

DUST OFF THE COBWEBBS

Iownaturbo dusted off the cobwebs for her trainer Alan Goodhand.
Although it was the three year olds fifth career win Goodhand couldn’t establish when his last winner was as a trainer!
“You will have to look in the archives” joked Goodhand with word that it may well have been back in 2005 that he trained his last winner!
Recently retired Goodhand decided it was time to take up the challenge of harness racing once again and what better way than with one that you have bred.
“It feels pretty good. I have retired from work now and just play with the horses. It’s a hobby – we are just having fun and that’s what it’s all about”

IDLE HANDS WINS TAMWORTH MARATHON

Idle Hands is one fit horse – especially after winning the 2730 metre Psarakis Accounting Marathon at Tamworth and the gelding still had plenty in reserve to break the track record.
Trained by Dean Germon at Tamworth it is the first time the six year old has raced over the Marathon distance and with Josh Osborn in the spider clocked 2.02.6 – breaking the race record set by Leighmont back in 2014 with a mile rate of 2.03.10.
“Once he got in the clear I was pretty confident he was going to round them up” said Osborn.

SULLIVAN DOES IT AGAIN

Forbes reinsman Murray Sullivan made the return trip to Tamworth last Thursday and was once again in the winner’s circle – twice in fact!
Sullivan drove a double at the Tamworth meeting two weeks prior and with the prospect of 10 hours travel time for the round trip he certainly wanted to go back home a winner.

TOM Ison and Hyabusa Flyer

“I was a bit nervous after the fall last week but to get the win today has certainly put the confidence back there” said Ison after the win of Hayabusa Flyer who is trained by Graham Moon and raced by his wife Jenny.
“It was a pearler of a run.

Davies Double at Tamworth

Cameron Davies liked the results from the Tamworth HRC meeting last Thursday – especially after he trained a double and drove a winner himself.
“I feel very good to be able to have a training double here today” simpered Davies. “It sort of makes up after last week”

Murray Sullivan double at Tamworth

Forbes reinsman Murray Sullivan knows how to become admired after driving two winners at the Tamworth meeting last Thursday.
Sullivan’s first win for the day came courtesy of Montana Shadow in the THRC Membership Pace (1609m) after just making it to the line after initially having a handy hold on the field as they rounded the final turn.

EL KAY GRAND GIVES JOY TO OWNER AND TRAINER

"I just like harness racing – it’s a great sport" that is how Henry Campbell summed it up after his mare El Kay Grand had a victory at Tamworth.

Campbell who is domiciled at Tamworth has El Kay Grand in the Mitch Faulkner stables who trains out of Uralla.

"She has got a nice little turn of foot but we haven’t had a good barrier draw to test her out" said Faulkner who handled the Bettors Delight USA-Kayceem Grand mare in the race.

In fact El Kay Grand had her win at the second attempt of running the Rising Star Sam Ison Pace after a fall in the first endeavour saw Ima Toastmasta with James Harding in the spider hit the track and two reinsmen in Tom Ison and Peter Missen being dislodged from their carts.

MITCH CHAPPLE DELIVERS THE GOODS

How much more can one celebrate at a harness meeting – well for Maitland’s Mitch Chapple that is easy – just keep the party rolling or should we say races.

Chapple dove his first career winning double at Tamworth – in back to back races - and also picked up The Pub sponsored Drive of the Day.

The congenial Hunter Valley reinsman guided Anna Bay Al to an impressive win before hopping straight back in the gig to keep the merriment flowing for a win with Modern Edition.

COLLINS NEAR MISS AT TAMWORTH

Paul Collins headed to the Tamworth meeting with three horses and the trainer was so close to enjoying the raptures of three wins- but instead had to be content with a win and two seconds.

For Collins – a former resident of Warialda north of Tamworth many moons ago – he enjoys the drive up the highway to do battle on the Tamworth Paceway.

"I love coming back here" said Collins

RISING STAR BRAD ELDER

Brad Elder had plenty of practice at the Tamworth meeting driving three winners before heading to Sydney to represent the Hunter Valley in the 2016 Rising Star Series.

The 18 year old was looking forward to the series alongside local Sam Ison who was set to represent the North West.

Elder had three wins at Tamworth for three different trainers.

"I don’t come up here real often but do good when we do" said Elder of his Tamworth campaign – which gave him his first winning treble at the Paceway.

Harding Harding Harding

Bobs Farm reinsman James Harding cleaned up at the Tamworth meeting driving three winners on the program.

Harding kicked home his first winner – trained by his father Geoff - when Sackheim won the Thread Effects Two and Three Year old Pace over the 1609 metres.

“He came out great at Newcastle last start and I was pretty sure he would hold them today” said Harding after the win.

NATTY STABLES HAVE A DOUBLE AT TAMWORTH

Ken Natty trained two winners at last Thursday’s Tamworth meeting having to wait for the penultimate and the last to produce the goods.

Leighmont – driven by Sam Ison – won the Hazells Farm & Fertilizers Service Pace whilst Jedi Superstar – driven by Sarah Rushbrook – took out the BMR Quarries Pace.

Ken Natty owns and trains both the pacers and works them on the Tamworth Paceway with a small team of only three in work.

"Leighmont raced true to his form" said Natty "when Sam pulled the horse out and let him run he did the job real good"

MY POPPA PROVES A HANDY PURCHASE
My Poppa had an all the way win in taking out the Tamworth Trophy Supplies Pace last Thursday at Tamworth and it was only by chance the six year old gelding gained a start as he was the first emergency.
“He has got some gate speed – he was emergency so lucky he got the run” said part owner and trainer Aaron Garaty who also handled the driving in the 1609 metre event.

HIGH ON DREAMS DEFIES HIS TRAINER FOR SECOND WIN

The win of High On Dreams in the Changeover and Live Or Die Droughtbreaker Mile Final at Tamworth last Thursday was somewhat of a surprise for trainer Dean Germon.

"He won’t win another race" – well that was the light hearted reaction of Dean Germon when High On Dreams cracked his maiden status with an all the way win at Inverell the week prior at race start 69.

Roll forward four days after the eight year old gelding’s first career win and High On Dreams wraps up the Final at Tamworth.

Droughtbreaker for The Matrix at Tamworth 
For Bathurst trainer Nathan Hurst the win of The Matrix in the second heat the Live or Die Droughtbreaker Mile Heat 2 also heralded a winning double as both a trainer and reinsman.

MAGIC MADDIE BREAKS HER DROUGHT
The drought has been broken for Magic Maddie – that’s the winning drought!
Tamworth HRC hosted two heats of the Droughtbreaker Series last week and the Cameron Davies trained Magic Maddie was the first to break through in taking out the Changeover Droughtbreaker Mile.
“It was a really good run” said Davies after the win “She got a bit of luck which is needed around here (Tamworth)”

Old Boys Pace 
“It was an oldie but a goodie” could have quite possibly summed up the day at Tamworth last Thursday when the Club hosted many old trainers and drivers on their old stomping ground.
They may have been arch enemies on the track in years gone by but they certainly showed they valued their friendships- with plenty of tales being told – whilst watching some tough competition happening on the paceway.