Pinto pacers take centre stage at Racetime

Belfast, IE – NISA (Northern Irish Standardbred Association) the officially recognized governing body for the sport of harness racing in the region will stage their seventh meeting of the 2021 season at Racetime Raceway on Saturday and a record attendance is expected to converge on the venue to witness one of the highlights of the British and UK calendars, the Pinto Pacing Derby.

All six contestants in this event are either skewbald or piebald, bringing a real splash of colour to Racetime and in a unique twist, they are all by individual pinto registered sires showcasing how healthy the breeding is for these unusually marked standardbreds. Its not expected that the world record for a mile (1:56.8 by White Flame set in Dublin 2015) will be eclipsed on the day, but its within the realms of possibility that a sub 2:00 mile could be on the cards. 

Big Pete (Table The Nukes/Crazy Chick) will go to post a warm order favourite for Damien Mooney and the seven year old has been performing with great credit all season without actually getting his head in front when it mattered.

This could all change on Saturday as Big Pete has been presented with a golden opportunity to break his duck and secure a historic victory into the bargain.

The Chamelon (Henrys Ace/Georgies Girl) and Newmoors Jackie Dan (Dillingers Dream/Highdene Roulette) have been impressive in previous qualifiers and both look up to making a real race of it against big Pete but with lack of match practice in recent weeks their fitness must be taken on trust.

The youngest pinto in the line up is four year old Million Dollar Sam which is by Hiltons Samboy out of US import Million Dollar Hall, but he may have to settle for minor honors here against some battle hardened veterans. The line-up is completed by the homebred Geronimo (Indian/Sands Colour Party) and the British bred Commanche King (Commanche Star/Mayfellden Britney) and it promises to be a phenomenal spectacle to witness the strikingly marked pacers in full stride battling down the homestretch at Racetime. 

Kindly sponsored by Northern Mortgages this event carries this richest purse so far in 2021 and although the winners bank balance will receive a nice healthy boost, it will be the bragging rights of having the best pinto pacer in the UK and Ireland that is the ultimate prize on this occasion.

Also on the day, four other races will take place including a square trot. Andrea Lockhart will attempt to double up with Castlewood Glensman following on from her breakthrough victory last week in the Maiden & Novices handicap whilst Peter Lyttles Rio Bravo makes a welcome return to action in the afternoons Grades 1/2/3 contest.

Six of Irelands fastest pacers go to post in the highest class miles of the day where the very exciting Phils Dragon faces his sternest test to date and the days program culminates with a trot over the extended mile and a half where Bocage De Fornet will take all the beating.

Action starts at 3pm on Saturday and all patrons are welcome.     

by Thomas Bennett, for Harnesslink