Last hurrah for Team Teal today at Timaru

Sam Ottley has a great chance to finish the annual Teal Pants harness racing campaign on a high.

In the very last race of the campaign at Timaru today (The Laser Electrical Timaru Mobile Pace at 6.31pm) she will drive Theresa Love (Terror To Love), a second favourite behind Regan Todd-trained stablemate First Class.

“It’s great to be putting Regan’s colours on again , I worked for him a few years back and both of his look good chances.”

Theresa Love is coming off a last start second at Oamaru on March 8 for Robbie Close.

Ottley’s never driven the horse before but gets her chance with Close driving the stablemate.

One of five official ambassadors for the cause, Ottley has had five wins this campaign and likes the idea of adding a sixth, given it’s the last Teal Pants race for 2023.

“That would be an awesome way to go out.”

The campaign started in February with every race won by a female driver (wearing the Teal Pants) raising money for ovarian cancer research. This is the sixth time it’s been held in this country, after starting up across the Tasman.

Last year around $15,000 was raised. So far this time there have been more than 70 wins and over $30,000 raised.

Ottley has three other chances to add to her tally today.

They are :

No 1 Fraud (Mach Three) in Race 2 – “will need all favours from a good draw”
No 4 Reformed (Changeover) in Race 5 – “she’s had no luck in her last two starts and there is some gate speed inside her so we will wait and see what happens.”
No 11 Kowhai Sundown (Peak) in Race 6 – “he’s a funny trotter, certainly not the prettiest but he was near enough last start and if he can get some luck from the unruly.”

Fraud is at $15, while Kowhai Sundown is at $7 in what looks like to be open race, and Reformed, who is trained by Ottley’s mum Denise, is at $4.

In what Ottley will be hoping is the lucky last Theresa Love is at $4, just behind First Class ($3.30) and Glenthorne at $3.60.

For complete race entries, click here.

by Dave Di Somma, for Harness News Desk