Darling Downs sisters Lola and Julie Weidemann have to be the best tag team in the harness racing business. Nothing stands in the way of their work with the duo's winning treble at Tamworth Showground Paceway yesterday attesting to that.
In April, Lola was hospitalized after suffering breaks and bruises in a race fall at Redcliffe Paceway. While Lola nursed her four broken ribs and a damaged hip for months it was up to her sister Julie to carry the load.
But when Julie was sidelined by Racing Queensland stewards last week, Lola quickly swung back into action.
She resumed driving at Redcliffe on Wednesday night driving one of the team into third place then loaded the float on Thursday morning and travelled a well-worn 460km route down the New England Highway to the country music capital.
The Weidemann family is considered locals at the Tamworth Showground with Lola, Julie and their niece Stacey rarely missing a race meeting.
Lola was at her crafty best when she returned to the country New South Wales circuit.
Driving Julie’s horses Bulldust and Lonesome Mach, Lola produced a race to race winning double early in the day then just for good measure made it a treble of wins later in the program scoring on Dreamy Nukes for her sister.
Bulldust,has been out of the winners list for six months but it seems that Lola has a bit of an affinity with the P B Bullville gelding winning at three of his only four race wins. Bulldust ($8.40) came from back in the pack to spear away from his opposition and score by 4.3 metres in a 2.02 mile rate for the 1980 metres. No Confession and Gannicus, the race favourite filled the placings. About thirty minutes later Lola again produced a masterful drive on Lonesome Mach. After being buried on the pegs most of the way, Lola got the $5.50 chance to the outside and quickly rounded up those in front of her. Lonesome Mach kept the momentum going right to the line to score in a photo finish by a half neck in 2.03.7 for the 1980 metres defeating Pipers Challenge with Big Riddle filling the minor spot.
Dreamy Nukes won on Anzac day at Inverell and then was winless for its next starts before Lola steered it to the front running victory. The Dream Away gelding posted its fifth career victory scoring by 1.3 metres in very moderate time. Dreamy Nukes led the field with Lola slowing the early pace down to almost a walk, going through the first half of the last mile in 67.6s — the last half mile was quicker but was still outside of a minute and stewards nabbed the driver with a $100 fine.
by David Aldred