Reinsman Nathan Jack will honour the late Tiffany Murray by wearing her driving pants at Echuca Harness Racing Club’s annual Pacing Cup meeting on Saturday night.
Tiffany, a popular local harness racing figure, died in 2011 after a brave battle with cancer.
Jack knew Tiffany well through his good mate and Tiffany’s partner, Leigh Sutton.
Sutton is also a harness racing driver and he and Tiffany have a daughter, Milla.
Jack will also donate $100 per winning drive to the Cure Brain Cancer Foundation – and $200 should he win the Echuca Cup – and Sutton will match it dollar for dollar.
It means the organisation set up by Tiffany's neurosurgeon, Charlie Teo, will benefit $200 per winner and $400 if Jack’s horse, Smudge Bromac, can win the main event.
“I knew her quite well. I was good mates with Leigh,” Jack said.
“It’s definitely a cause close to my heart.”
The club will also run the Tiffany Murray Memorial Pace (Race 4 at 8.03pm), with only female drivers invited to contest the event.
The association between Jack and Smudge Bromac will hold him in good stead aboard the David Aiken trained entire on Saturday night.
The nine-year-old pacer is in a rich vein of form, having recently contested the $400,000 Hunter Cup, finishing fifth beaten only 8.3 metres by Arden Rooney.
“He’s a great little horse, you’d love to own him,” Jack said of the 31-time winner.
“He’s in great form. His Yarra Glen Cup win was terrific, in the Pure Steel he sat outside Uncle Wingnut and beat him by over a metre, and in the Shepparton Cup he turned for home level with For A Reason and beat him a length.
“He’ll find it a bit hard off the 20-metre (handicap) on the tight track but he’s racing really well.”
The huge 10-race program at Echuca kicks off at 6.20pm with the cup to be run at 9.33pm.
Loads of giveaways and entertainment will be provided, with one lucky patron winning $1000 thanks to the TAB simply by uploading their Trot Selfie to facebook.com/trotselfies.
The Moama Bowling Club Echuca Pacing Cup meeting is a leg of the TAB Trots Country Cups Carnival.
by Cody Winnell