De Goey set to keep Beautide preparation on track

The Rohan Hadley-trained De Goey (Captaintreacherous) will continue preparing for next Saturday night’s (Aug. 6) Beautide when he lines up in the seventh race in Launceston on Sunday night.

De Goey has won two of three harness racing starts this campaign, with his only defeat being a second placing in a 3YO Prelude for the Beautide in Hobart on 16 July.

The gelded son of Captaintreacherous wasn’t blessed with a lot of gate speed on that occasion and ended up three-back the pylons before slotting into the one-one at the mile.

He raced three-wide from the 350m and finished the race off strongly over the concluding stages to be defeated a half-neck by Karalta Artemis.

“It did surprise me (his lack of gate speed), I thought from gate one he would switch on with a horse beside him, but it was the other way round.

“Rohan (Hillier, driver) said he had no idea what to do,” Hadley explained.

“Rohan said it wasn’t until Todd (driver of Nyack) got outside him the last 150 metres he then took off,” the trainer added.

“He is still a bit green and immature. The more racing he does, the better he will get, I hope.”

Sunday’s race sees another Beautide prospect, Nyack, starting from the pole draw while former Kiwi mare Killarney Dance, who is two from two in Tasmania, drawing nicely in barrier two.

In what could be a lead for punters, Rohan Hillier has driven Killarney Dance in both Tasmanian victories but has elected to drive De Goey, who he has also been the regular driver of.

“If we get through Sunday all good, then we will aim him up at the Beautide,” Hadley said.

The trainer believes the pacer may be suited to racing against some of the state’s best four-year-olds.

“I personally think the harder they go, the better for this horse.

“It’s going to be a good race the Beautide. I’m just aiming up at it as I know he has the natural ability there, but whether we have the experience to match it with those good four-year-olds, I’m not sure.

“I think Rohan Hillier has one of his own in there, so I’m probably going to have to don the silks,” said Hadley, who is in semi-retirement from the sulky, with his last race drive being a fourth aboard Boom in the Easter Cup earlier this year.

The winner of the Beautide will secure the Tasracing slot in the world’s richest harness race, the $2.1 million TAB Eureka at Sydney’s Menangle Park on 2 September.

Nominations for the Beautide close at 9:30 am on Monday, 31 July.

For complete race entries, click here.

by Duncan Dornauf for Tasracing