Ready to taste first Group 1 success in $100,000 feature

The $100,000 TAB Regional Championships – Hunter Final at Newcastle tonight (Friday May 20) has drawn together the most evenly graded field of the four harness racing finals being conducted throughout the state this week.

On paper, it appears that there are several realistic winning chances in the field and despite drawing poorly on the backline, TAB fixed odds have posted Far Out Bro as a $3.00 favourite in a wide betting market.

Veteran Maitland trainer Geoff Dorn will be represented by two runners in the feature event and is excited by the prosect that he could leave the International Paceway tonight with his first Group 1 winner.

Dorn’s pacers Sergei and Oleg have struck a purple patch of form just at the right time and both were impressive in winning their respective qualifying heats on May 6, giving him the confidence that they can finish in the mix.

“I have been mucking around with a horse or two for more than 40 years but am yet to win a Group 1 race.

“My father always had a handy horse in his care but none good enough to win a feature race. I have driven in a handful of Group races during my career, and I would love to think that I could snare my first here at Newcastle,” Dorn explained.

Earlier in the week, Geoff had to make the tough decision of choosing which of his geldings he would drive in the final, eventually settling on Sergei.

He was then quick off the mark to secure leading Hunter Valley reinsman Peter Hedges to partner Oleg.

“Sergei won a heat winner of this series last year and finished a creditable fifth in the final, while Oleg only started racing six months ago, but keeps stepping up to the task when we ask him to do so,” Dorn said.

“Peter knows Oleg well. He has driven him in each of his five race starts, winning three of them and I have no doubt he will give him a suitable trip despite drawing wide in gate eight.”

Wagga will host the TAB Regional Championships Riverina Final this afternoon and Narrandera trainer David Kennedy holds the key to the race with four runners.

Stable driver Jack Painting has opted to drive odds on favourite Rocknroll Runa who was dominant in scoring by fourteen metres in his heat on May 3, his tenth win from eighteen race starts.

For complete Newcastle fields, click here.

For complete Wagga fields, click here.

by Michael Dumesny, for HRNSW