Golden Guitar Meeting Wrap

TAMWORTH'S CLASSICS GO NORTH

Both Golden Guitar & Tamworth Cup Won By Queenslanders.

The 3 meeting Tamworth Country Music Festival harness racing carnival concluded last Friday night with perfect mild & overcast weather conditions for the running of the annual HRNSW Carnival of Cups program.

Highlight for the large crowd in attendance was the $20000 Pryde's Easifeed 2012 Golden Guitar Final over 1980m. A talented field of pacers from all over NSW & Qld qualified in Monday's (Jan.23) six heats & the subsequent barrier draw ensured it would be an open affair when fastest qualifier A Passion For Aces (Bernie Hewitt) came up with marble six (outside front row) and the local hope, recent Gold Nugget winner, Churchill Bromac drew inside the back row.

When the mobile dispatched the field, $110 heat winner Leading Judge did just that, lead, before handing up to another heat winner in Hangover Joe. The 2/1 race favourite Churchill Bromac was then relegated from behind the leader to three pegs whilst eventual winner Qld 8yo Tiger Island was snagged back from barrier two to sit four back on the pegs for Jimboomba trainer/driver Ricky Thurlow. Early & mid-race moves resulted in the field bunching up and with 600m to travel Thurlow had the son of Island Fantasy second last on the inner. From there the very experienced ex-Sydney reinsman weaved his magic through the field to peel off three wide in the home straight and ron down Young 4yo Artstandin ( Michael Day Jnr), who had enjoyed a good one out-two back trail. A neck margin separated the two in a rate of 2.00.3. The unlucky runner, 2/1 favourite Churchill Bromac (Dean Chapple) stormed home wide out in the run home, after being held up for a run from the 400m, to be another 5 1/2m away in third place. The only real shock was the $54.70 win dividend. To add to the $12500 first prizemoney, rug & trophy Thurlow's masterful piece of reinsmanship also gained him The Pub Drive of the Night Award. There has been only three previous Golden Guitar winners from the Sunshine State - Bee Fifty Two in 1988, Duel Lass in 1995 & Fire Ant in 2004.

Not to be outdone, fellow Queenslander, young Haigslea tr/dr Chantal Turpin, also made her first trip to Tamworth a memorable one, when she steered her 5yo The Twin Rivers to an all the way win in the $10000 Pryde's Easifeed Tamworth City Cup 2360m. Spearing straight to the front from barrier two, the 4/1 shot withstood all challengers to draw away to score by 11 3/4m from Em Ef Cee (Nathan Hurst), who raced three wide for the last 850m. Third was another Qld pacer Kardelin (Barton Cockburn) after trailing the winner throughout. Turpin rated the ex-Kiwi son of Badlands Hanover to perfection (2.00.9) at only her second drive on the 750m Showground Paceway to collect the $6700 prizemoney, rug & trophy.

The Golden Guitar Consolation went to tough Anna Bay gelding Torida El driven Rodney Atkins for 80yo trainer Tom Frost. The 4yo raced without cover to beat locals Tassie Shannon & Couldpanout in a rate of 2.00.2.

The other winners on Tamworth's premier night were: Dubbo's Jesse Grant (Madison Reynolds); local Aces Reign (Dean Chapple for Moonbi trainer Wayne Gray); Livinthehighlife ( for Barton Cockburn, the Qld representative in the upcoming Australasian Young Drivers Chammpionship in WA) who sizzled home three wide for the last 800m in a very slick 57.7 seconds; promising local 3yo filly Miley Cyrus ( Josh Osborn for Allan Beresford) and HV 3yo The Falcon Rainbow (Guy Chapple) landed some hefty bets from the four on-course bookies.

The other on track features were the two mini trot races with a large number of young participants and the match race of man versus beast - a runner, a cyclist & a pacer. Outstanding 15yo Northern Inland Academy of Sport Lonestar athlete Ben Allen of Tamworth ran just over 400m in 54.0 seconds on the harness racing track to down local Cycle Club Publicity Officer 22yo Mitch Carrington by about 10m, with pacer Bad Trouble (driven by Tony Missen) another 10m back in third place. The later two covered 780m.

Gunnedah brother & sister Daniel & Brooke Wicks, both multiple title holders, amazed the crowd with a magnificent display of whipcracking skills. Other entertainment included  the jumping castle & face painting for the young children, upcoming Country Music star Cameron Cusack & friends provided music throughout the evening & local harness racing tr/dr Brian Letton, a Golden Guitar nominee, sang the National Anthem.

The Tamworth Harness Racing Club are the defending HRNSW Carnival of Cups Award Winner.

Mark Lowe