Second Tasmanian star chasing TAB Eureka berth

In a surprising and exciting twist, Tasmania could have a second runner in the world’s richest harness race.

Trainer-driver Matthew Howlett has locked-in plans to take his stable harness racing star, Mickey Oh (Racing Hill) , to Menangle in the hope of getting a start in the inaugural $50,000 The Singo on Saturday week.

A win or eye-catching performance in the race could see Mickey Oh join Magician as a second Tasmanian runner in the $2.1mil TAB Eureka at Menangle on 2 September.

“He’s booked on the boat across to the mainland tomorrow (Wednesday) night,” Howlett said.

“One of the great things about the Eureka is how it’s given people like me the chance to try and make my dreams come true.”

High-profile entrepreneur John Singleton will use the “The Singo” to select which pacer runs in his slot in the TAB Eureka. And he has stressed it will be what he deems the best run in the race, not necessarily the winner.

Mickey Oh ran a slashing race when a fighting second to the exciting Magician, beaten just a neck, in last Saturday night’s $80,000 Beautide in Hobart.

Magician snared not just the bulk of the prize money, but also the Tasracing slot in the TAB Eureka.

But Howlett was so thrilled with Mickey Oh’s run, he wants to chase his dream and try to grab Singleton’s slot in the TAB Eureka.

“We thought he ran a great race and he may have held-off Magician with another run under his belt. We know that run will have brought on him that bit more,” Howlett said.

“We spoke to a few people after the race and many encouraged us to give the Sydney trip a go. We don’t get the chance to try something like this very often at all.”

As a back-up, and making the Menangle trip even more enticing, all runners in The Singo will be guaranteed a start in a $100,000 consolation race to the TAB Eureka on 2 September should they not land Singleton’s slot.

“The chance to run twice is certainly attractive. It makes the trip a lot more viable,” Howlett said.

Mickey Oh has been a revelation over the past 10 months with six starts across two campaigns netting five successive wins before last Saturday night’s brave second, which still earned him $17,000.

Ironically, his biggest win came when he narrowly beat Magician in the Globe Derby 3YO final in Launceston on 13 November, last year.

As a two-year-old, Mickey Oh also won the Dandy Patch and Sweepstakes finals in Hobart.

“He’s just kept developing and the other great thing about a trip like this to Sydney is we think it’ll be a great experience and make him an even better horse when he comes home,” Howlett said.

For complete race results, click here.

by Adam Hamilton, for Tasracing