Junior driver Taylor Ford stormed clear at the top of the Leading Female Drivers award after steering home a winning double in Hobart on Friday taking her winning tally to six winners and in the process moved to fifth place on the State Premiership table.
Ford has formed a formidable force with trainer Bianca Heenan early in the 2018/19 season and further enhanced her reputation in the gig with two wins and a second placing from four drives.
Taylor finished second with Twenty Two Karat, beaten 1.4 metres by the Ben Yole-trained Lake Eyre before finishing midfield with Big Bang Raj behind Secluded Beach.
Jacks Command, a seven-year-old gelding, had won two its last three outings coming into the Sky Racing Pace over the 2090-metre trip for trainer Bianca Heenan and was sent out an $8 chance with the Todd Rattray prepared Zhukov Leis, in line for a hat-trick, the $1.50 favourite.
Taylor speared Jacks Command to the early lead before dropping anchor through the first quarter running 33.7 seconds, Zhukov Leis sat in the death as Taylor picked up the tempo recording 29.8 and 28.2 sectionals before going for broke inside the 400-metre mark, dropping Zhuvov Leis on the corner and racing clear to score by 11.6 metres running home 57.3 seconds.
Taylor’s second winner of the night was Bounty Eyre ($4.20) in the last the Claimer, the ten-year-old Heenan prepared gelding scored at it’s last Hobart appearance three weeks ago before finishing just behind the placegetters at Devonport.
Bounty Eyre (pictured) began safely from the stand and settled leading the one out train before Taylor eased to gain cover at the mile-marker.
As the field entered the back straight on the last occasion Taylor made her winning move easing out three wide before challenging for the lead racing off the back.
Ford laid all her cards on the table on the home turn and Bounty Eyre was up to the challenge responding strongly in the home stretch to win by 3.2-metres over Another Swinger and Im Barney Rubble.
Shane Yates