Tuesday finals highlight Cambridge action tonight

Two “Tuesday Finals” will highlight harness racing action at Cambridge tonight.

The Garrards Horse & Hound Tuesday Trotters Final Handicap Trot and the Dunstan Horsefeeds Tuesday Pacers Final Mobile Pace are eligible to horses that have had at least two starts at Cambridge since August 1. Both races have stakes of $12,500 and are rating penalty free to the winner.

Palmerston North based trainer Stephen Doody has two runners contesting the Trotters Final with Sweet Olivia (Creatine) driven by Todd Mitchell, and Johnny Who (What The Hill) driven by junior driver Crystal Hackett. Both horses present as good winning chances tonight, though their handicaps make it tricky.

“They’ve been going really well and hopefully they can carry on with it tonight,” says Doody, “Sweet Olivia starts off 20 metres and Johnny Who is off 30 metres which does mean it will be a bit harder for them tonight.”

“I’m hoping Johnny Who steps away quickly and doesn’t muck around at the start which he can do occasionally.”

Johnny Who was a last start winner here on September 17 when he ran down a fresh Joca’s Hill over the 2200 metre trip. The start prior he finished second behind stablemate Sweet Olivia who has won back to back races. Her most recent win was on September 10 over 2700 metres when she led for the majority of the race to bravely hold off the challenge by Johnny Who.

“Both horses have been good since their last starts and are working as well as they had been when they won,” says Doody.

The Dunstan Horsefeeds Tuesday Pacers Final Mobile Pace is a sprint trip over 1700 metres and features four last start winners including the Tuesday specialist Red Rackham (7) trained by Cambridge local Arna Donnelly and driven this week by junior driver Harrison Orange.

The Vincent gelding who is a last start winner, has had four wins and a second from his five starts at Cambridge over the past eight weeks.

“He’s been good since his last race but I would have liked him to have a run last week and unfortunately that race didn’t get off the ground,” says Donnelly, “he has had plenty of racing though and will give a good account of himself although the draw is a bit tricky tonight.”

Alongside Red Rackham, Donnelly also has Bad Medicine (8) driven by Kate Coppins and Rough And Ready (9) driven by Crystal Hackett entered in the race.

“Despite Bad Medicine’s form line, he has been racing really well,” says Donnelly “he’s in the same boat as Red Rackham though in that the draw over 1700 metres makes things a bit tricky tonight.”

A winner of eight races, the Bettor’s Delight gelding’s last start was at Alexandra Park in a race taken out by class mare Mantra Blue who flew the last 800 metres in 54.8 seconds and the last 400 metres in 26.8 seconds.

Rough And Ready’s most recent racing has also been at Alexandra Park, finishing fifth on September 21 with the race being taken out by Jeremiah.

“Rough And Ready has also been going some great races and pulled up well from his last race,” says Donnelly, “he’s the only horse on the second row tonight so Crystal (Hackett) has a few options with what she wants to do with him in the race and I think he’ll go a tidy race tonight.”

Racing action gets underway tonight with race one at 4.29pm.

Today’s Cambridge meeting kick starts a busy week of racing right around the country, with Addington on Thursday, Wyndham and Auckland on Friday before Sunday’s meeting on the grass at Methven.

For complete race entries, click here.

by Brigette Solomon, for Harness Racing New Zealand