The Shallows takes out Tassie Golden Apple

Broadmarsh trainer-driver Heath Woods celebrated his biggest win in the harness racing industry when talented four-year-old The Shallows claimed Saturday night’s Group 3 Faithful Park Stud Tassie Golden Apple in Launceston.

The gelded son of Shadyshark Hanover flew away from his 10-metre handicap to settle one out and three-back in the 2200-metre event before leading up the three-wide line over the final lap.

After being headed by Lip Reader at the top of the home straight, the pacer dug deep late to score by 3.8 metres over Lip Reader and Sea Double Ugrant.

It was the 14th career win for The Shallows at the pacers 30th racetrack appearance.

“He went really good, nothing sort of came (mid-race) and they hadn’t run along real quick, so I thought I had to get going, and I always thought I had those inside horses covered and I was just a bit worried about Lip Reader on my back, but this bloke found a bit the last 50 (metres),” said Woods on TasracingTV after the win.

Woods left the industry in 2007 and The Shallows is the first horse he purchased since he decided to get back involved.

“I had a few other things on the go, and I had a few horses that just fell by the wayside, so I didn’t have another one to go on with,” said Woods.

“I always planned to get back into it but it never really happened and then my son Aaron indicated he would like to get one, so it probably took three or four months to find one, and this bloke was advertised as an unbroken two-year-old, and he had a lot of good breeding on his dams side so we took the punt,” explained the winning trainer-driver who also acknowledged the work around the stables of his son Aaron doing most of the “dirty work”.

The next feature race as part of the Ladbrokes Tasmanian Summer of Racing is the $25,000 Hobart Pacing Cup on 3 January where the majority of the Tassie Golden Apple field will head including the winner, pending how he comes through Saturday’s run.

“I will just see how he pulls up, we just take one week at a time, but if he pulls up good, we will head to the Hobart Cup,” said Woods.

Race favourite Ignatius finished fourth, and Ryley Major, who’s tyre came off the rim in the home straight, finished fifth with both horses losing no admirers after being forced to race very wide over the final 600 metres in a solid last half-mile from a 30-metre handicap over the 2200-metre trip.

All going well Ryley Major will head to the Hobart Pacing Cup, while connections of Ignatius will decide if the pacer heads to the Hobart feature or embark on a New South Wales campaign in the coming days.

The race started in sensational fashion when the driver of Call Me Hector was dislodged from the sulky after being checked by Blackbird Power who galloped away in the standing start event.

Call Me Hector was collected by the clerk of the course and avoided injury as did his driver Troy McDonald.

Duncan Dornauf for Tasracing