Spotlight on juveniles
THE state’s best juveniles will tackle the $26,000 Sweepstakes finals when the Tasmanian Trotting Club hosts its feature event meeting on Saturday, September 3.
The Elwick meeting also promises a brilliant support card.
The fillies and colts and geldings’ divisions of the Sweepstakes are always hardfought events and this year’s editions should be no exception with two rounds of heats in each division to be held at Elwick on August 14 and 21.
A few of the fillies likely to contest the Sweepstakes
series are going around in the Belmont in Launceston on Sunday night, including the Kent Rattray-trained Scarlet Place, who has notched two minor placings from her four starts and is ready to win.
The 3YO Spring Championship also will feature on the same card as the Sweepstakes finals with each carrying $20,000 in prizemoney and those fields will be made up of two rounds of $10,500 heats contested in Hobart and Launceston on August 21 and 28.
Open class pacers will battle it out in the $20,000 Metropolitan Cup and the David Medhurst Memorial,
which is a much sought-after prize by trainers as it is run in memory of the former trainer-driver who was killed in a car accident nine years ago aged only 26.
The David Medhurst Memorial is for NR 50-59 rated pacers, and it is restricted to concession drivers only. IMPRESSIVE last-start winner Tarkine Eagle will be out to do what only an exceedingly small percentage of gallopers do, and that is win a class one event straight after breaking their maiden status.
Tarkine Eagle won his maiden at Elwick three weeks ago by almost five lengths, and while Sunday’s assignment is a step up in class, he would only need to bring his last start form to be hard to beat in the Graham Family Funerals Class 1 over 1400m.
The Tammy Mollrosstrained son of Alpine Eagle had placed second at his two starts before his win and his trainer and his trainer says the horse has done well since the victory.
Tarkine Eagle defeated the Tegan Keys-trained pair of Chi Mazel, and Her Thoughts last start, and they each are considered top chances in their races on Sunday.
Unbeaten three-year-old filly Donna’s Day is chasing a hat-trick of wins in the Kevin
Sharkie Benchmark 62 Handicap over 1200m (race five), and she looks to be premier trainer Scott Brunton’s best winning chance at the meeting.
Donna’s Day led throughout to win on debut and last start at Elwick three weeks ago, she raced just off the speed set by stablemate Neutralize and ran on brilliantly to win by almost three lengths.
The main dangers could come from stablemates Freak On A Lead and Videmanette and the Cameron Thompsontrained Trojan Storm.