36 days into the 2021 season, two Tasmanians sit at the top of the national trainers and drivers premierships.
Westbury born reinsman Jack Laugher has been based in Victoria for the past few seasons and has notched up 24 wins while trainer Ben Yole leads the trainer’s premiership with 25 victories to lead their respective titles.
Yole has numerous winning chances on Launceston’s 10-race card on Friday night, including the first race of the night which sees four equal favourites, all of which are prepared by Yole.
Oneofthelads has drawn the pole and has Gareth Rattray’s services, with the five-year-old gelding going into Friday off a last start sixth when five metres behind Kadar in the Harry Holgate Final last week and drops back into a rating 30 to 50 event here.
Keep Playing has been placed in two of her last four outings including his most recent effort in Burnie where he had a lovely run behind the leader. Itsadanceoff has drawn inside of the second row and has a poor record in Launceston but maps to get a good run while Ozzie Major has been racing consistently being placed in three of his last four efforts.
Signorina Jujon is another of Yole’s racing consistently and is in engaged in the second race of the night.
The Mr Feelgood mare has been placed in her last four outings, the most recent was behind Aussie Rock in Launceston last week.
While now based in Victoria, Jack Laugher is represented in the Launceston meeting as an owner, with Christian Jaz who also lines up in the second race.
But Laughers main interest for the weekend will be at Melton on Saturday night where he drives $81 chance Bettor Be the Bomb in Victoria’s premier race, the $500,000 A. G. Hunter Cup.
There is plenty of Tasmanian interest in the Group 3 Pure Steel at Melton on Saturday night with Max Delight the $2.15 favourite taking on the Rohan Hillier-trained and driven Ryley Major who is currently a $15 chance.
Ryley Major’s stablemate Lip Reader is favourite for Friday night’s feature race in Launceston, the Sunrise Bakery Launceston Discretionary where he faces a tough ask off a 30-metre handicap with 10-metre handicap runners Sea Double Ugrant and James Dean appearing as his main dangers.
Duncan Dornauf for Tasracing