Race Meeting Report Thursday 18th April 2024

NATTY STABLES HAVE A DOUBLE AT TAMWORTH

Ken Natty trained two winners at last Thursday’s Tamworth meeting having to wait for the penultimate and the last to produce the goods.

Leighmont – driven by Sam Ison – won the Hazells Farm & Fertilizers Service Pace whilst Jedi Superstar – driven by Sarah Rushbrook – took out the BMR Quarries Pace.

Ken Natty owns and trains both the pacers and works them on the Tamworth Paceway with a small team of only three in work.

"Leighmont raced true to his form" said Natty "when Sam pulled the horse out and let him run he did the job real good"

MY POPPA PROVES A HANDY PURCHASE
My Poppa had an all the way win in taking out the Tamworth Trophy Supplies Pace last Thursday at Tamworth and it was only by chance the six year old gelding gained a start as he was the first emergency.
“He has got some gate speed – he was emergency so lucky he got the run” said part owner and trainer Aaron Garaty who also handled the driving in the 1609 metre event.

HIGH ON DREAMS DEFIES HIS TRAINER FOR SECOND WIN

The win of High On Dreams in the Changeover and Live Or Die Droughtbreaker Mile Final at Tamworth last Thursday was somewhat of a surprise for trainer Dean Germon.

"He won’t win another race" – well that was the light hearted reaction of Dean Germon when High On Dreams cracked his maiden status with an all the way win at Inverell the week prior at race start 69.

Roll forward four days after the eight year old gelding’s first career win and High On Dreams wraps up the Final at Tamworth.

Droughtbreaker for The Matrix at Tamworth 
For Bathurst trainer Nathan Hurst the win of The Matrix in the second heat the Live or Die Droughtbreaker Mile Heat 2 also heralded a winning double as both a trainer and reinsman.

MAGIC MADDIE BREAKS HER DROUGHT
The drought has been broken for Magic Maddie – that’s the winning drought!
Tamworth HRC hosted two heats of the Droughtbreaker Series last week and the Cameron Davies trained Magic Maddie was the first to break through in taking out the Changeover Droughtbreaker Mile.
“It was a really good run” said Davies after the win “She got a bit of luck which is needed around here (Tamworth)”

Old Boys Pace 
“It was an oldie but a goodie” could have quite possibly summed up the day at Tamworth last Thursday when the Club hosted many old trainers and drivers on their old stomping ground.
They may have been arch enemies on the track in years gone by but they certainly showed they valued their friendships- with plenty of tales being told – whilst watching some tough competition happening on the paceway.

Wings of Desire had his own “surprise party” in taking out the opening event – the TAB Rewards Pace - but the gelding forgot to send an invite to his trainer Paul York.

York was literally the last to learn of the win as the Australia Post Manager (New England Operations) was away at a work meeting in Shoal Bay – with his phone turned off!

What a surprise when York looked at the results later that day.

“After I turned the phone on I heard all the messages come through and when I looked at the results I saw he (Wings of Desire) had won. I went “shivers he has won” chuckled York.

Will Star Mara be as good as her mum? Well the writing is on the wall to say yes with full confidence.

The four year old mare is every owner and trainers dream – qualify one week and win a feature race the next!

“It is always a nice pleasant surprise to win but I was confident” said Sawyer’s Gully trainer Paul Collins who was recounting the win of Star Mara in the $8000 Joan Bullock Memorial race at Tamworth last week.

Who Killed Kenny a Good Tonic for Mackney

The win of Who Killed Kenny relieved the pain just marginally for trainer Danny Mackney in taking out the Global Bloodstock Pace (1980m) at Tamworth.

Mackney normally handles the reins behind the Kenneth J-Fakin Romar gelding but engaged Lola Weidemann on this occasion due to being on the sick list himself.

Yap Yap Yomax greeted the judge with a handy win in the Mobile Sponsorship Now Available Pace (1609m) much to the relief of all connected with the pacer.

The Ultimate Falcon-Jacks Memory gelding has been a “handful” for trainer Tony Missen but after some perseverance and adding young reinsman Brendan James into the “recipe for success” the 7 yo has popped up with a winner.

“I love the horse” said James of Yap Yap Yomax. “He’s pretty good and I have to thank Tony (Missen) for giving me the drive”

Gottaluva Sunday made light work of taking out the Vale Margaret Ford Pace.

From the pole trainer and reinsman Mitch Faulkner was waiting for some pressure to be placed on the four year old mare but she was left alone out in front producing quarters of 31.8s, second quarter 30.3s, third quarter 30.1s and fourth quarter 29.6s.

CYCLONE KATE WINS $25,000 Prydes EasiFeed Golden Guitar Final at Tamworth by Julie Maughan

Torrential rain was the back drop for the win of Cyclone Kate in the $25,000 Prydes Easifeed Golden Guitar Final at Tamworth last Friday night.

"I like her even more now" said McCarthy of Cyclone Kate. "They told me she had a bit of ability"

It was the first time that John McCarthy had made the trip to compete in the racing carnival at Tamworth and all indications are he will be back.

MUARNO AND UNCLE PETER HAVE IMPORTANT VICTORIES AT TAMWORTH by JULIE MAUGHAN

Queenslander Narissa McMullen paid her first visit to the Tamworth Golden Guitar Carnival and vowed she will be back – especially after the win of Murano won the $12,000 Garrards Horse and Hound Tamworth City Cup.

2016 Golden Guitar Heats by Julie Maughan

Seven heats of the $25,000 Prydes Easifeed Golden Guitar were conducted last Sunday and the Final has shaped up as one of the best to be witnessed since the inception of the series back in 1984.

MITRHYS MAGIC WIN COMPILED BY JULIE MAUGHAN

It’s Christmas and what do you want – presents of course and Mitrhys Magic certainly delivered that for owners John and Noelene Varga at the Tamworth HRC meeting last Thursday – Christmas Eve.

Mitrhys Magic or "Barry" as he is known around the stables brought the crowd to their feet when the IfIhadyourluck-Scoot On La Belle gelding won the TAB Rewards Xmas Gift Box Pace (1980m).

MARK CALLAGHAN DOUBLE AT TAMWORTH BY JULIE MAUGHAN

The BMR Quarries Dash for Cash Final will be staged at this afternoons Tamworth HRC meeting to be raced over the 1230 metre distance.

Strawberry Courage – trained by Mark Callaghan - will most likely commence as race favourite – especially after winning the Prelude last week.

"He (Strawberry Courage) was probably the class horse of the race last week. He drew wide but he went really good and he had a little bit left at the finish" said Callaghan who has his training establishment at Morisett.

MITCH CHAPPLE WIN AT TAMWORTH AFTER TURNING 18 COMPILED BY JULIE MAUGHAN

Maitland’s Mitch Chapple may have heard "Happy Birthday" at his recent 18th birthday celebrations but it was most certainly "hip hip hooray" after he drove a winner at last Thursday’s Tamworth harness meeting.

"It was good to get a win" said Chapple.

Chapple accepted a drive behind Little Gozzo with the 9 year old Chill Factor-Armerina mare trained by Col Hobday at Inverell.