Golden Guitar Rundown Jan 2012

VISITORS DOMINATE GOLDEN GUITAR HEATS JANUARY 2012

Despite the cloudy and windy conditions, the track was fast at Tamworth yesterday for the second of three meetings during the Club's Country Music Festival harness racing carnival.

The Pryde's Easifeed Golden Guitar series kicked off featuring six heats with visiting pacers winning five.

Heat 1 was an action packed affair early with 2/1 on favourite Blazing Terror from Qld, galloping just after the start and then the leader Artiliem broke stride as he ducked in & jumped peg. This left 9/2 chance Hangover Joe (Guy Chapple driving for Mathew Jackson of Maitland) in front after 500m in a disorganised field & the 4yo went on to score easily from Qlder Wallys Choice at 67/1 in a rate of 2.01.0. The favourite recovered to finsh third.

In Heat 2 the 10/9 favourite Artstandin led from barrier one, whilst the eventual winner, A Passion For Aces ( Bernie Hewitt) was slow away before working three wide to outside the leader at the bell. These two went stride for stride for the last 800m before the 4yo from Georges Plains, near Bathurst gained the upper hand by a half neck in a quick rate of 1.59.9.

Despite being out of class and racing three wide for the last lap, Young trainer/driver Michael Day Jnr urged 110/1 bolter Leading Edge to a 5m boilover victory in Heat 3. Second was another longshot Qlder Tiger Island at 63/1, with the winner rating 2.01.4. The 7/4 on fav. Bennys Ace was 4th.

Leading Western Districts trainer/driver Nathan Hurst broke his Tamworth track "duck" when Getaloadathis (14/1) raced wide early before sitting outside the leader & favourite, Railemup, to win Heat 4 in a rate of 2.01.8.

Heat 5 was the slowest and gave Nathan Hurst a double when his 4yo mare Make Some Magic produced a similar performance to her stablemate, racing three wide early and then "death" seated only to draw clear in the concluding stages for a 4metre win from Toride El in a rate of 2.03.0. The odds on fav. Wrotham Park led and ran a poor last.

The 6th & Final Heat featured the best local hope, the Gold Nugget winner Churchill Bromac. Despite a backrow draw the 5/4 on favourite did not let punters down and he quickly raced up three wide to get outside the leader. Leading local driver Dean Chapple of Moonbi, dictated the terms from there & put the oppostion to the sword with a 27.5 third quarter to steal a march from the chasers. The Robert Clement trained 5yo scored by 6metres from Secret Squirrel in a rate of 2.00.9.

After the fastest heat winner A Passion For Aces drew wide in six, local Churchill Bromac will be the favourite for the Final and attempting a rare double, the Gold Nugget/Golden Guitar features, a feat not done before.

The $20000 Prydes Easifeed Golden Guitar Final takes place on this Friday night January 27 at approx. 8.40pm with the Field (in barrier order) being:

1. Leading Judge

2. Tiger Island

3. Wallys Choice

4. Hangover Joe

5. Artstandin

6. A Passion For Aces

7. Railemup (Reserve)

8. Churchill Bromac

9. Secret Squirrel

10. Getaloadathis

11. Make Some Magic.

Also featured on the 8 race TAB meeting will be the $10000 Tamworth Cup & a match race between a pacer, a cyclist & a runner.

Mark Lowe.