News Room

Bendemeer trainer Peter Rippon has a tough decision now as to the next start for Major Deed after the gelding won the Country Music Festival Racing January 14,18,& 23 Pace at Tamworth last Sunday.

Wife Cindy took charge of the reins behind the Art Major- C C Lobell gelding on Sunday at Tamworth and from barrier four charged straight to the lead – never to be headed and was 0.1 outside the track record set by Youranut back in December 2012.

"I didn’t think we were going quite that quick but I knew we were running along" said Rippon after the race "I let him run a bit of a pace so they couldn’t run over the top of us and he did that quite well"

For the 1609 metres Major Deed settled on a MR of 1.57.4.

Village Xibbit just loves the thought of Christmas and Santa Claus, and the proof is in the pudding!

The Hunter Valley pacer looked at home in winning the opening event at last week’s Tamworth HRC meeting, the Peter McNamara Photography Pace (1980m).

With the meeting staged on Christmas Eve it is not the first time that the six y.o. mare has achieved a win on such a night.

It is a long while since Norm Soles was in the winners circle but it was Chariot Duchess who put the Duri trainer back in the limelight after taking out the TAB Rewards Pace and repaying punters $28.90 for the win.

Harness racing is a great family sport and Thursdays harness meeting at Tamworth was testament to that with plenty of family involvement in the winners circle.

The youngsters certainly shone through at the West Entertainment Members November 11 meeting with Tom Ison and Scotty-Jon Welsh taking out the first two events on the card.

NEW TRACK RECORD, TREBLE & DOUBLE

Local 5yo Leighmont (Village Jasper-Blue Moon Navajo) returned to form in setting a new track record for 2730m at Tamworth last Thursday in the ATAC Marathon Prelude.