Back-to-back Sydney meetings makes for a busy day

Postponing Saturday night’s Menangle meeting until tonight, following a COVID scare, is going to make it a busy day for some of our leading drivers.

With six races set down for Bankstown in the afternoon, before Menangle’s first race at 6.40, there will be a few reinsmen praying there’s no traffic snarls in south-western Sydney.

Leading reinsman Cameron Hart, as well as young up-and-comer Lleyton Green will drive in the last race at Bankstown and then make a mercy dash to Menangle to drive in the opening race there, just over two hours later.

The Menangle meeting was moved as a precautionary measure after reports a participant had returned a positive test to COVID.

Still officials were quick to act and tonight’s meeting, headlined by the Group 3 Kevin Newman Free-For-All should go off without any further drama.

Harness Racing NSW had decreed that anyone who attended last Tuesday’s Menangle meeting must provide stewards with the result of a negative COVID test taken on or after last Friday before they will be allowed to attend any racecourse, training centre or training facility.

In relation to today’s two meetings, negative test results must be provided before 9am while a negative test for the Menangle meeting tomorrow [Tuesday] must also be provided before 9am tomorrow.

Vaccinations will also become compulsory for any authorised people who enter or exit identified LGAs of concern. At this stage a minimum first vaccination will be adequate before attending any race meeting or trial event.

Meanwhile three of Sydney’s in-form stables are expected to fight out tonight’s feature, the $30,600 Kevin Newman Free-For-All.

The powerful Belinda McCarthy stable will have three runners, Lets Katchmeifucan, Bright Energy and Zahven Banner with Luke McCarthy opting to drive the $3.25 second favourite Lets Katchmeifucan.

Jason Grimson has two runners, with leading reinsman Cameron Hart to drive Majestic Cruiser, a $2.60 favourite and chasing a hat-trick, while Josh Gallagher will take the steer on Hidden Courage ($21).

Jack Trainor also has the much-improved Pocket Of Terror ($8) with Jack Callaghan one of many who’ll be backing up from his Bankstown commitments to chase the feature.

Star trotter Drop The Hammer, fresh from a win over Tough Monarch last week, also makes a return to Menangle facing just six rivals, including the impressive Funky Monkey, unbeaten since arriving from New Zealand with five successive wins and ready to fire after two recent trial wins.

To view tonight’s Menangle fields click here.

To view today’s Bankstown fields click here.

By Michael Court for HRNSW