Tasmania

[Messenger]

The Tasmania Cup is the first Group 1 harness race that the state has hosted in a little over a decade, with the prizemoney being boosted to $100,000 for the 2022 edition.

There are 6 Victorians in the race this Saturday night

https://www.thetrots.com.au/news/articles/victorians-head-south-to-chase-tasmanian-group-1-feature/

[Showgrounds]

Hopefully it is a far better race than last year's disgrace to harness racing.

[Messenger]

Make sure you check out the magnificent front running drive on Gotta Good Reason seeing the local get up in the Tasmania Cup
As in the heats another fantastic drive by Rohan Hillier on the backmarker Ryley Major to run 2nd
(Puntarno Stride ran 3rd at 150/1)

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=EH190322#EHM19032210

[Messenger]

Whisky and Rye, now a 4yo, once an Alabar Syndicate horse (2019?) is now owned by Ben Yole
It is sad to think that the syndicate would put Whisky and Rye on such a very slippery slope

[Messenger]

Total Domination by the Emma Stewart stable and driver Mark Pitt on Saturday at Launceston
9 winners from 9 races
It would have been absolute domination but for not having a runner in one race
They did have 10 runners however, with the 10th coming second behind stablemate Longfellow in the Cup
It must be cheaper to transport horses to and from Tassie than I thought. Apart from the $100k Cup plus a $15k and $12k race all the other wins were in $9k races

The story

https://harnesslink.com/australia/nine-winners-at-one-meeting-rewrites-history/

The results

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=LN160422

[Beltane]

Race number 1 was not a great look for Tassie Trots. Here was one by Emma Stewart up against nine from Ben Yole.

But it was never in doubt for Mark Pitt who kicked off his great run of winners, leading all the way and easily defeating all the nine Ben Yole's entrants, whom were strung out ranging from 21 to 136 metres behind Go Dancing.

[Messenger]

Good quality replays and worth a look
(you wont see R2 as they repeat R1)

[Messenger]

Whisky and Rye, now a 4yo, once an Alabar Syndicate horse (2019?) is now owned by Ben Yole
It is sad to think that the syndicate would put Whisky and Rye on such a very slippery slope

I seriously fear for Whisky and Rye's future now

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=EH290522&s=WHISKEY%2520AND%2520RYE&f=1#EHC29052201

Whisky was originally paired with Saturday Melton winner Moments Like These for the Alabar 2019 No1 Syndicate
Unfortunately horses seem to be very disposable

[Messenger]

There is no sprint lane at Launceston, so it was pretty hand that the stablemate ran up the track in R5 last night
PP reckons Tassie punters will be glad to see the back of Conor Crook but where is he going to? The new Shep complex :(

It would be good to see a head on but the stewards seemed to be pretty accepting of what looks red hot

https://tasracing.com.au/replays/19062022-harness-launceston?race=5

[Messenger]

It has to be a worry, having the state's racing so dependent on one stable

A big meet and great field sizes at Launceston last night
but if we look at 4 races ( 1 & 7-9 )
39 of the 44 runners came from the Yole stable

In 2 other races he had 5/10 but did not win
It seems that he needs more than half the field to win

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=LN070822

[Messenger]

Vitually $300k in prizemoney was on offer at the Launceston meet on Sunday - I didn't realize the state was doing that well

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=LN131122

[Messenger]

Emma is in Hobart tonight - if she wins everything, she will take home $75k

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=EH080123

[Messenger]

Emma is slipping - she only stole $60k from the Tasmanians

[Showgrounds]

Emma is slipping - she only stole $60k from the Tasmanians

And a miserable night for the Ben Yole stable. FORTY NINE STARTERS, ZERO WINNERS.

It takes a mighty effort to travel from the top end of Tassie to the bottom and still come home winless.

[Messenger]

And a miserable night for the Ben Yole stable. FORTY NINE STARTERS, ZERO WINNERS.

It takes a mighty effort to travel from the top end of Tassie to the bottom and still come home winless.

He did win one Trev - R9, one of the somewhat lesser races, where he had 9 of the 12 starters (and there was no Stewart runner), he filled the first 6 places

[Showgrounds]

My bad, I saw where Mark Yole had a runner. No doubt Aaron Bain and Summit Blooodstock shouted beers around for the connections of the other eight stablemates!

[Messenger]

It was interesting to see Like A Wildfire take on stablemate Hes Ideal in the Cup

[Messenger]

Emma Stewart pillages Launceston locals this time but only wins 4/6 and most notably does not win the big one

Ben Yole wins 2 this week - he had to win the last as he had 12/12 runners

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=LN140123#LNM14012310

[Messenger]

It is the $150k Tas Cup next Saturday - another Stewart raid I imagine
I am not sure what the heats are about (one tonight)

[Messenger]

Nothing in the Form Guide to explain the heats but I gather they are for selecting the final - which explains why the Stewart stable just had the odds on winner of tonight's heat and got 5th in last week's heat

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=EH100323#EHC10032308

[Messenger]

Tomorrow night

[Messenger]

Coming up in the next at Hobart
The only non Yole runner is being driven by Mark Yole ?!!!!!!!!!!!

[Messenger]

The Interim Murrihy Review has been released and can be found below

https://nre.tas.gov.au/Documents/Interim%20Murrihy%20Review%2031%20August%202023.pd f

Near the start of the Executive Summary you will find

From the outset, it is important to note that with regard to the governance of welfare conditions at Tasmanian harness racing establishments, the current situation is that:

• the Rules of Racing prohibit the mistreatment of horses, however they are deficient in that they do not prescribe what is considered a minimum standard for horses and facilities at training establishments;

• the Animal Welfare Act 1993 currently has no regulations to prescribe what welfare standards are required to be met for a horse training property; and

• the Tasmanian Equine Welfare Guidelines 2008, which detail the humane treatment and welfare of horses, are not enforceable because they are guidelines and not supported by the force of the Rules of Racing.

So what can be done?

[Mighty Atom]

Hobart racing this Sunday Ben Yole lobs on course with 59 horses, the most the other trainers could muster was 54. What a logistical nightmare floating 59 horses to the racetrack.

[Showgrounds]

The Interim Murrihy Review has been released and can be found below

https://nre.tas.gov.au/Documents/Interim%20Murrihy%20Review%2031%20August%202023.pd f

Near the start of the Executive Summary you will find

From the outset, it is important to note that with regard to the governance of welfare conditions at Tasmanian harness racing establishments, the current situation is that:

• the Rules of Racing prohibit the mistreatment of horses, however they are deficient in that they do not prescribe what is considered a minimum standard for horses and facilities at training establishments;

• the Animal Welfare Act 1993 currently has no regulations to prescribe what welfare standards are required to be met for a horse training property; and

• the Tasmanian Equine Welfare Guidelines 2008, which detail the humane treatment and welfare of horses, are not enforceable because they are guidelines and not supported by the force of the Rules of Racing.

So what can be done?

Legislate. The only positive thing, if it is positive to expose slack political will, is to introduce legislation that addresses the shortcomings identified in the report.

How fundamentally dumb is the Tasmanian Government to commission an enquiry based on non-enforceable codes of practice without the necessary acts of parliament and regulations to determine what is acceptable and unacceptable?

The team driving allegations were never going to get up, based on weight of numbers. Had the necessary animal welfare legislation been in place then Yole was a goner. Animal activists should now focus their attention on ensuring the Tasmanian Government updates, amend or introduces acceptable standards through parliament and undertakes periodic reviews of it. In Victoria, the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, under which I was once authorized as a General Inspector, has been revised over the past couple of years. Racing authorities have delegations and obligations to ensure compliance with the Act. Not so in the far-flung reaches of Tassie, which continues to lag behind other states and present-day expectations.

[Messenger]

One of our very funny long time posters (it should not be too hard to work out who)
noticed all the DBT's in the stewards column for R1 in Hobart tonight
(We don't know that we have seen Driver Breath Tested before)
and wondered whether the stewards thought the Yole stable had had their Christmas party today LOL

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=EH011223#EHC01122305

[trish]

No ben yole horses in at Scottsdale. Be interesting to see why.

[trish]

Follow up story on PP re this.

[Messenger]

PP is hypothesizing that the reason Yole did not nominate any horses for Scottsdale (a beautiful little place) is that he has a problem with the Scottsdale VP

[Messenger]

12yo Modern Bliss pockets $82,500 for winning the Hobart Cup last night
Before last night his best collects had been 2 x $11,400

He spent quite a bit of time in the death but the win was a result of Ewa Justice knowing his capabilites and waiting for the inside run

Makes for a nice change from the Stewart stable pillaging the big Tassie races although I am sure the locals would have loved a local victory

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=EH020324#EHM02032410

[Messenger]

Clayton Tonkin has 7 in at Launceston on Sunday
5 Barrier 1's (plus a barrier 2)
Some of it is good placement of course
Maybe 5 or 6 winners?

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=LN230624

[Messenger]

The biggest race in Oz this weekend is The Beautide but the Tubbs/Sugars raider Fighter Command looks a shoe in to pocket the $40k first prize

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=EH030824#EHM03082409

[trish]

Well done Jess, Greg & all involved with Fighter Command. Into the Eureka. He is a very good horse.

[Messenger]

He took a full second off the Tk Rec

(please, please, can we list Elwick as Hobart - I always struggle to remember the old name)

[ryantics]

Sometimes I look at Tasmanian harness racing and think they're going pretty well as far as very good tracks and stake monies goes. Then I see last night a 2 year old pace worth $14 k with 2 starters - wtf! surely that kind of money should bring out a full field.

It also goes to show how far behind they are when Victorian horses compete against locals and win by such big margins. Are horses just trained differently down there?

[Messenger]

We all know that Tasmania has its fair share of problems but I think you are probably being a bit dramatic Steve on the basis of one small field in a 2yo race and one large victory by a Stewart raider. Mind you, Waterfront could just about be considered a local as 5 of his 6 starts (all wins) have been in Tassie. The first race was supposed to be a 4 horse race but one was scratched and one of the 3 starters broke and was retired from the race down the back straight
I have moved this post to the Tasmania thread

[Messenger]

Well done to Steve Davis for winning the big 2yo Fillies race on Saturday night in Hobart
Unfortunately for locals, all the other high stakes races went to raiders

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=EH021124

[Messenger]

Another poster has drawn my attention to how Tassie keep putting on $14k 2yo races with only a couple of starters going around
Apparently the race conditions prevent blow in and out raiders from competing

https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=EH101124