Tact into contention

Harness racing pacer Tact McLeod (Sweet Lou) looked every bit an IRT New Zealand Cup contender when he ran down favourite Wag Star in the Fahey Fence Hire Handicap Pace at Addington last night.

Caretaker trainer Mark Jones openly told media this week that he felt he’d been too easy on the five year old going into the gelding’s last start.

“He felt a lot sharper tonight. As Mark said in the media the horse may have been a bit underdone,” said driver Sam Ottley.

From the outside of the front row Ottley got the gelding away safely but slowly.

“For a couple of strides he was a wee bit funny but when he hits it (his hopples) he’s really fast and he’s getting better at it all the time which is real pleasing.”

Sooner The Bettor and Franco Marek began fast from their inside draws and were joined by Tact McLeod who quickly got into gear.

“The three of us were doing a fair bit into that first bend.”

Ottley got Tact McLeod to the front after the early burn before John Morrison took Franco Marek out of the trailing spot to the front. With just over a lap to run Wag Star despite being in the one one, wasn’t progressing well enough for driver Mark Hurrell, so he took him three wide to the top leaving Tact McLeod three back on the fence.

“He (Tact McLeod) probably got on the bit a bit more than he usually does but he’s a true professional and comes back to you. When you ask him to go, he grabs the bit again.”

Turning for home Wag Star looked to have the field in trouble but when Rock N Roll Doo started to fade Ottley managed to get Tact McLeod some clear air.

“He was always travelling really nice turning for home and it was a matter of getting the splits at the right time and he let down really nice.”

Tact McLeod went down to the line to beat Wag Star by two and a quarter lengths making it a Sweet Lou and Southland trained quinella. There was a further half a head back to Franco Marek who held on for third.

TACT MCLEOD REPLAY

The race time was 3-13.0 with the last 800 metres run in 56.8.

The win was Tact McLeod’s eighth at only start number nineteen for owners Trevor Proctor and Diane Dynes.

“I’m just very lucky to drive him. You’ve got to get excited about these horses, don’t you. He feels like a Cup horse, he relaxes and the further they go the better he’ll be. He’s still got that good turn of foot when he comes off the back of them. I’d like to think he’d love a two mile. Again, he’s still having a good blow, so you’d like to think there’s still a bit more improvement there.”

Wag Star in his first test in this grade, proved that he was a star of the near future. Like Tact McLeod he’s had just a handful of starts (15).

“He felt pretty good and just got beaten by one that had a cold shot at him from three back on the fence. He’s tried all the way to the line. It was his first real decent test in that grade. I had to use him midrace to get to the top. He’s gone a super race,” Wag Star’s driver Mark Hurrell said.

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink