A hat-trick on the trot

• Owners’ syndicate member Daniel Hill, trainer Kate McLeod and driver Rohan Hillier celebrate Star Watching’s win at Launceston.

By Tony Scott,
October 13, 2021

North-East trotting trainers have really hit their straps picking up a lazy hat-trick of wins at various tracks over the weekend.

Lietinna-based Kent Rattray journeyed twice to Hobart in two weeks for a third and a win with different horses.

Last Friday his star performer Rockandahardplace finished off a tough race to win by 2.5 metres in a good time of 1:59:5, which is his best winning mile rate to date.  

From barrier four he was caught out wide and had to face the breeze for the entire journey.  

The gelding never faltered given the difficult task of racing in this space.  

Into the home turn the challenges came from behind, but Rockandahardplace continued to hold his own to be first to meet the judge and add to his season’s results sheet of five wins, two seconds and one third.

Stormy Sanz represented the Sanz team in the south a week earlier, but had to be satisfied with a third place after a very tough run.

At Launceston on Sunday 10 October, the North-East was well represented with five local trainers taking eight horses to the Ladbroke Racing Centre.   

It proved a successful outing with two wins and two third placings recorded.

Bridport trainer Kate MacLeod started the evening with Grizzly Montana running a good third in the first event of the night.  

He dictated the terms of the race for most of the journey and when the large field of 12 runners started to bunch he maintained his lead into the straight, where he was finally overtaken, but ran on to collect third prize money. 

Things improved for McLeod in the sixth event of the meeting, when Star Watching was able to back up his recent win in Hobart with another great win for the local syndicate.  

After the start he gained the coveted one out one back role but lost that fairly soon when a horse moved around from the rear.  

“Roy” was content to sit in the running line into the home straight until he peeled off the field and ran on strongly to win by 1.2 metres.  He was well-supported by punters, starting at odds of $3.00.

Filly Barooga Rock returned to racing after a six month spell to win the third event of the night for Waterhouse trainer Ian Abraham.  

The three-year old started second favourite in her race and was drawn inside the second line on the fence.  

There were few changes during the journey and it wasn’t until coming off the back straight the filly was able to grab some space to get off the fence.  

Turning into the home straight she came five-wide around the outside of the field and sprinted home in great fashion to claim first prize.  This race was a great effort and the filly shows a lot of ability.  

At the start of the second race on the Launceston card a number of horses were vying for the lead and Heza Sport, trained by Rohan Hadley at Bridport was shuffled back towards the rear.  

At the bell lap he made a move forward three-wide and moved very smartly around the field to make up ground and into the home straight he was always going to run a place.  

His third placing was well earned and a win is not too far away.