Courage of Kool Kash pips rivals on the line

TASMANIAN hall of famer Graeme McCulloch has trained some tenacious gallopers in his time, but few would have shown as much courage as his eight-year-old Kool Kash.

Kool Kash produced another tough-as-teak performance last Sunday to register arguably a career-best win in a benchmark 80 handicap over 1650m.

The gelding assumed his customary role as pacemaker with Hong Kong apprentice Scarlet So aboard and even though he had the assistance of a 3kg claim for the inexperienced rider the rest of the field had him within their sights at the top of the straight.

Kool Kash was clearly headed by the well-backed favourite Balearic ($2.30) and when Willby Rules joined in it seemed certain McCulloch’s battler would end up in third place at best.

Balearic put about a halflength margin on Kool Kash and Willby Rules joined that horse to fight out the finish.

But Kool Kash still had something to give.

The gelded son of Rock of Gibraltar laid his ears back and kept finding to edge out Willby Rules on the line to register what was an amazing victory.

It was the eight-year-old’s 15th win and his 13th on the synthetic.

“This horse never ceases to amaze me and this win is probably his most courageous because he was well and truly beaten halfway up the home straight,” McCulloch said.

“Horses like him don’t come along every day.”

The rising nine-year-old has the imposing record on the synthetic of 13 wins and a dozen minor placings from 39 outings with his overall record standing at 15 wins and 19 minor placings for career earnings of $211,000 from 68 starts.

He has won twice on the turf in Launceston along with multiple minor placings, however the Hobart track remains his nemesis. STAR Tasmanian gallopers The Inevitable and unbeaten two-year-old Mystical Pursuit won their respective trials over 800m in Devonport yesterday.

Mystical Pursuit will resume racing in Melbourne at Moonee Valley on Saturday week in a 1000m three-yearold fillies’ race, while The Inevitable is expected to kick his campaign off in the Aurie’s Star handicap over 1200m at Flemington on Saturday fortnight. AN Tasracing initiative to increase turnover on Tasmanian harness racing will be tested in September.

Tasmanian harness racing reverts to one meeting a week from next month and in September all Sunday night meetings have been transferred to Wednesday nights.

Tasracing has been working closely with Sky Channel to secure a midweek Sky 1 option for harness racing and when the Redcliffe club in Queensland required four weeks off for track maintenance Tasracing seized the opportunity.

Wagering on Tasmanian harness racing in the Wednesday Sky 1 timeslot at other times during the 2018-19 season has been significantly higher than the standard Sky 1 Sunday timeslot.

With only one race meeting a week in September, most meetings will boast between 8-9 races and more than likely with capacity fields.

This will not only serve to bolster turnover for the code but it will also give participants a full weekend off during September. The changes have been supported by most industry participants.

The first Wednesday night meeting in Hobart on September 4 should boast nine races with all events likely to be over 1609m. — PETER STAPLES