TAYLOR MADE TRAVEL GOULBURN TROTTER’S CUP

Following a 3 month recess racing resumes at the Goulburn Paceway tomorrow afternoon (Thursday 15^th April) when a massive 10 race card will be decided.  With the race 1 set to go at 11.40am the programme will feature the $8,000 Taylor Made Travel Goulburn Trotter’s Cup and heats of the Tom Hewitt Memorial, the final of which will be held Thursday fortnight.

Michael Taylor, proprietor of Taylor Made Travel has been a leading light in the re-establishment of trotters in New South Wales.  He has supported the Trotters Foundation Series and now has financially backed a trotter’s Carnival of Cups series throughout the State and the trotting enthusiast is indebted to his generosity. 

Scheduled as race 7 to start at 2.50pm, Thursday’s event has drawn together a very strong field of accomplished trotters who will contest the 2240m event from the standing start. The standout performer is last season’s Victoria Derby winner Arizona Blue for Kemps Creek trainer John Heath.  The 4yo mare will commence from the 30m mark and following her first up 7^th at Menangle on April the 1^st she will prove much fitter.  As a classic winner and with earnings in excess of $110,000 she will start favourite and should prove the testing material. 

Her strongest opposition will come from the in-form trotters In Midnites Pocket off 40m and the back marker Earldom who has been handicapped on 50m.  Both have competed strongly in recent trotter’s events and are quite capable of causing an upset.  Other strong chances include the former New Zealander Im Cameron Jake and the consistent Metropolitan performer Chew The Fat.   

The three Tom Hewitt Memorial heats over 1710m will feature a number of up and coming horses the place getters of which will determine the $7,000 final to be held on Thursday afternoon the 29^th April.  Tom Hewitt for many years was the district’s leading trainer whose Lost River stables produced such notables as Nikalong Shadow and King Rancio. 

The first of the Tom Hewitt Memorial heats is race 3 sponsored by Top Water Carters and following her recent win at Bankstown Shes All Lady trained and driven by Tom’s grandson Dennis Picker will prove the hardest to beat.  The 4yo mare is by one of Tom’s former good performers in Nika Time and will start from the 3 barrier.  The strongest opposition should come from Dennis Day’s Inuit Lady and the Marulan trained Regal Grant.

The second of the heats is race 5 which is sponsored by the Crookwell Veterinary Hospital.  Amazing Spirit for Michael Hardy of Young has very good recent form and should have little trouble crossing to the front from the 4 barrier.  Frank Sonata has performed strongly on the Goulburn track last season and along with Highland Olive look the hardest to beat.

The final of the heats is race 8 and is sponsored by the Combined Crookwell Businesses.  Tom’s son David Hewitt has drawn well in barrier 1 with Annas Ace and though winless this season, her recent form has shown improvement.  The field is particularly strong with the inclusion of promising performers Saint Casino for local trainer Emanuel Zolotas and Lombo Nakamura who is in sterling form.  From the barrier Saint Casino may prove the hardest to beat.

Race 6 at 2.10pm is the $5,000 Goulburn Soldiers Club Pace over 1710m and an impressive field of fast class pacers has been drawn together.  Fifty Gorillas has drawn the outside of the front and as the highest assessed horse will start favourite, however he will meet strong opposition from the erratic by highly talented Just Plain Crazy.  The field also features the consistent and very well performed mares Kimberly Street and Shes Makin Waves but from the more preferable barrier Just Plain Crazy may prove the hardest to beat

The afternoon also features aged racing with the first race being $5,000 Diggers by the Park Pace for 2yo pacers over 1710m.  A number of promising juveniles look set for a good contest with the strongest seemingly the Junee trained Kurts President.   In the fourth race, the $5,000 Caroline Chisholm Pace for the 3yo pacers and the Wagga Wagga trained Make Your Move may have the speed to cross from the wide draw.  His recent form is very strong and looks the hardest to beat from Goublurn Guy and the filly Slab Fracture

With the first race schedule to go at 11.40am gates to the Goulburn Paceway will be opened at 10.30am.  Entry is free and the committee of the Goulburn Harness Racing Club invite all harness fans to come along to Goulburn for an exciting afternoon of harness racing.  Bookmaker and a full tab service are available along with great food, cold drinks and a licenced bar