Crook making a charge for the top

With 13 winners from the past five meetings held in Tasmania harness racing driver Conor Crook is making a mid-season charge to the top of the states drivers’ title, where he sits in second spot on 52 wins, four behind Troy McDonald.

Conor’s latest demolition in the sulky came in Hobart on Sunday evening, driving a treble on the 10-race card.

The 50th season win for the Beaconsfield-based driver was aboard Montana Storm ($3.60).

The recent addition to the Rohan Hillier stable was stepping out for the fourth time since leaving New Zealand with Sunday’s victory the third win for the gelded son of Bettors Delight since arriving in the state.

From a second-row draw, Conor drove a confident race during the early stages out three-wide to find the spot outside the leader after completing the first lap.

The pacer proved too tough late for the $1.75 favourite Helikaon.

“We did a mountain of work early. I thought we might have got there cheap but it didn’t pan out that way and he was still too good against decent horses,” said Conor about the win.

“Rohan (Hillier) is thinking about giving him a break now, and I reckon he will come back a very serious horse,” added the winning driver.

Conor then continued his good association with Art Major gelding Be Major Threat ($4.80) to take out the Open Discretionary later in the night.

Again it was a confident drive by Conor who got the Tammy Langley-prepared pacer away safely from his 10-metre handicap before whipping around the field to find the spot outside leader, Rocknroll Turbo ($4.00 fav), with just over two laps to travel before proving too tough for that pacer late by 2.4 metres.

“He can make his own luck, you can sit him up or if the speed slackens you can go and sit parked and we were able to do that,” explained Conor.

“He had the measure of Rocknroll Turbo last time they met, so I was confident he would be able to do the same again.”

Rounding out Conor’s driving treble was Sutter Hanover entire Just For Dave, who showed brilliant standing start manners to lead all the way and win a 45 or better standing start event.

“Once he led, he had a good run in front and only dashed up the straight,” said Conor about the win of the Mark Reggett-trained pacer.