Play boy entertains punters

He was well backed and Hughie Play Boy and his supporters got the cash at harness racing’s Launceston track on Sunday.

The Four Starzzz Shark gelding opened his winning account at his ninth race start, with an all the way win in the Lees Orchard Maiden.

Backed in from $15 into $7.50, trainer-driver Rodney Ashwood took the three-year-old pacer straight to the lead and dictated affairs to go on and score by 1.2 metres over Indianna Sanz, who raced wide for the final 900 metres in a mile rate of 2:02.8.

“It has been a long process for us with a lot of ups and downs with him, so it is great to get a win with him,” said trainer-driver Rodney Ashwood post-race.

Connections Paige Ashwood, Phillip Boxall, Brett Mawbey and Grant Beadle pocketed a $10,000 Tasbred bonus with the win.

Ashwood indicated the pacer is likely to do his future racing interstate.

“We will send him over to Alex (Ashwood) in Victoria, and he will have more options to place him in the country over there,” Rodney said.

Rodney made it a driving double on the card, winning on the in-form Yorkshire.

The Juanita McKenzie-trained pacer was able to get through the field well to find the lead at the 1900-metre mark from his second-row draw and proved too good for Sunny Sanz and Blame It On me, who were both resuming from a spell in 1m 59.7s for the 2200-metre trip.

“He got to the front pretty easy, but they have run home pretty good. Sunny Sanz and Blame It On Me both ran home pretty good as well,” said Ashwood.

Yorkshire’s last half-mile was in 56.2s, with many awaiting the Tasracing Calculated Sectionals to look at the times of the beaten brigade.

Rodney’s brother Paul kicked off the night on a winning note. He put the polish on in-form pacer Ifitstobeitsuptome.

Driven by Ricky Duggan, the Rock N Roll Heaven gelding has won two of his past three outings.

Reinsman Conor Crook took advantage of fellow driver Troy McDonald not having his licence renewed in time, scoring aboard the Ben Yole-trained Montana Lad in the Great Northern Super Crisp Pace.

Crook and McDonald went into the meeting equal at the top of the states drivers title on 59 wins each for the season, with McDonald’s error proving costly for the battle that will end on 31 December.

Yole also prepared another four winners on the card including, The Black Assassin, Juniper, Endeavour Stride and Guys Bettor Bet to extend his lead in the Australian Trainers Premiership to be 12 wins clear of Queensland’s Grant Dixon.