THE gaze of the harness racing industry will be firmly fixed on the Bathurst Paceway tonight as three $10,000 heats take place ahead of their $100,000 finals on June 29 at the new Menangle Park track.
Bathurst was always scheduled to host the Pacific Fella NSW Sires Stakes three-year-old colts and geldings heats as well as the fillies equivalent, but were awarded an extra heat in the two-year-olds series after they were moved from Dubbo because of poor nominations.
Bathurst Harness Racing Club’s chief executive officer Danny Dwyer said holding the Day In A Life Sires Stakes two-year-old pace for colts and geldings was a positive sign for the area.
“Having these races here and being given extra events is indicative of the horses we have here in the area,” he said.
Dwyer said a fourth $10,000 heat was a possibility for tonight but not enough two-year-old fillies nominated for the race to make it stand.
The heats of the rich series have attracted leading drivers Greg Bennett and Ben Sarina back to the track they don’t usually visit during mid-week meetings, especially Bennett who is rarely seen in Bathurst outside the annual Gold Crown Carnival.
Dwyer said the high profile drivers and trainers were here to ensure they made the next stage of their respective series.
“To be selected in the semi-finals they need to run in a heat race,” he said.
“It means they support country races and adds to the quality of the field.”
In race three for the three-year-old colts and geldings Dwyer liked the look of the John Tapp trained Rigatoni.
He will be driven by 2006 Gold Crown winning driver Bennett, the son of Brioso Hanover already boasting five victories and two placings from 11 his starts so far this season.
In the three-year-old fillies event (race six) a pair who are regular Bathurst Paceway visitors are the ones who Dwyer thinks are the ones to watch in talented The Lagoon junior driver Amanda Turnbull and master Georges Plains trainer-driver Bernie Hewitt.
“Amanda Turnbull’s Heart Of Aurora has won her last two races while Canasta Shannon [Bernie Hewitt] should go quiet well too,” he said.
“I think in the two-year-olds, going off form, Equivocal [Hewitt] will be hard to beat.”
Dwyer said he believed there would be plenty of people from around NSW and beyond willing to lay some of their money on the line tonight given the quality of the fields.
“I find what creates a larger betting turn over is when we have more out of town trainers and drivers,” he said.
“When you have local drivers and trainers it creates interest in one area, but having trainers and drivers from else where creates interest in other towns.
“Also just the likes of drivers Ben Sarina and Greg Bennett will also have their own following.”
Dwyer added being able to host such big races at short notice was a positive sign with a few changes in the racing industry set to begin.
“These races are very important because it highlights to Harness Racing NSW that if they need to run major events that Bathurst will be there putting our hand up [to host them],” he said
“These $10,000 races have been here a while but now that the Sires Stakes Series is being phased out we’ll have to wait and see.
“The Breeders Challenge will have it’s first series run in July and hopefully we will see a few races eventually here in the country like the Sires Stakes.”
The first on tonight’s 10-race card is set to go at 4.55pm.
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