Fellows firing in Tassie and targeting Gr 3 prize

Victorian trainer Tayla Fellows is hoping her first harness racing campaign across Bass Strait will turn into a career milestone, as she prepares promising pacer Do It (Always Be Miki) for Sunday’s (July 20) $60,000 Gr3 Tasfreight Raider Stakes Final at Launceston.

Fellows and her partner Dylan Marshall, of Bendigo, have taken a four-horse team to Tasmania for a month, and the trip has already proven fruitful – with wins from Do It and Martha Lavinia.

But it’s Do It in the Raider Stakes, drawn ideally in barrier four and to be driven by another visiting Victorian reinsman Jack Laugher, who gives the young trainer her first chance in a Group feature.

“This is definitely the biggest race I’ve contested since getting my licence, although we qualified two colts for the APG final a few years ago,” Fellows said.

“We’ve both been nervous since the fields came out – and we’re getting more so by the day!”

Do It is owned by a syndicate of Tasmanians, along with Bendigo local Andrew Hawker, and was bred by Shelley Barnes — now hosting the team at her property during the campaign.

The gelding has already repaid their faith with three wins from just eight starts since joining Fellows’ barn last year.

Fellows said the Raider Stakes series had been circled on the calendar for months.

“He’s fresh and well – there’s two weeks between runs but he seems to go best that way. He is only lightly raced so we thought better a bit fresh than flat,” she said.

“The longer distance (2698 metres) is a bit of an unknown – he hasn’t raced over it yet, but he’s won over short and middle distances. I don’t think it’ll worry him, and our driver Jack knows the horse well.”

Marshall, who runs a diesel mechanic business in Bendigo, has relished the opportunity to catch up with family during the trip.

The couple’s four-horse team includes Malava Miss, Manfredi, Martha Lavinia and Do It, and Fellows said they had all settled in well in Tasmania’s winter conditions.

“The horses are loving the grass paddocks – and it’s actually been warmer here than in Bendigo!”

While Do It is the headline act, Fellows was thrilled with Martha Lavinia’s recent win.

“Martha’s been going great. It was disappointing to lose our driver Liam Older (with suspension) because he’d been doing a terrific job – but Jordy Chibnall drove her an absolute treat last start to win.”

The Group 3 $60,000 Tasfreight Raider Stakes Final is one of the big features on the Launceston program, along with the $60,000 Ladbrokes Granny Smith Final for 4yo Mares to be run at Launceston on Sunday night. Full fields available at here: https://www.harness.au/racing/2025-07-20/launceston/T/meeting?includeTrials=false

From Terry Gange for Harnesslink