Winter racing will continue at the Young paceway tonight with an eight race program commencing at 5.20pm.
Trainers have been busy over the past weeks racing at Wagga, Bathurst, Leeton and Parkes with success for locally-trained Glenn Wilmot pacer Mako Bay who returned a healthy TAB dividend of just over $55. for followers of the stable.
Unfortunately for Glen, the stewards deemed his use of the whip unsatisfactory and duly requested he donate $200 to the drivers benevolent fund.
There are also 12 last start winners engaged for the meeting, and two $3000 claimers in race one.
Racing opens with a 1720 $6120 metre event with capacity field to face the starter.
Last start Bathurst winner Gentleman Red from the Steve Turnbull stable looks the likely winner from a wide gate. That was a first up run from a spell and the form could improve dramatically on that run.
Dangers include last start Wagga winner Always In Command for Trevor White and the $3000 claimer Hes Okey Dokey who has not won since winning at Shepparton in May last year, a winner of nine races is third up from and a spell and a forward showing would not surprise.
Race two is a three-year-old pace, again over 1720 metres and again with a capacity field competing for the $6120 purse.
The consistent Neil Shaw-trained pacer Kenfury Lass has won three from four and looks well drawn here. A third at Tamworth last time out was a good performance and the Young track will suit driver Madi Young who likes to lead and she has won races here previously.
Others with credit include the polemarker Trunkey Emily who has been placed at Dubbo and Bathurst and is in the strong Bernie Hewitt stable, together with Arrived In Time who has been knocking on the door recently and last start Leeton winner Janices Cullen for Shane Hillier.
A ladyship pace is race three and here the backmarker and winner of its last two starts Paltrow could make it a hat trick of wins following runs at Young and Penrith.
The Bernie Hewitt-trained pacer should be running on in the concluding stages of the race to account for Marys Little Rose, Ma Koo Loo Queen and the Grenfell-trained Gubbata who put in an eye-catching run at Parkes last time out.
The second of the claimers race is race four and is certainly the most open of the night. Four last start winners will face the starter together with a number of pacers who have been placed in their most recent starts.
Swaggie Shannon was a recent Tamworth winner and has drawn well, as has As Low As They Come who won at Parkes and Leeton winner Serene Major.
Interesting runner is Ektoras who is having only his third start on Australian soil after coming over the ditch recently. Previously trained in Tasmania and another last start winner.
The 1720 metre start will continue in race five with the Turners Furniture One Pace. Eight starters in this C5 and better class $6120 event should produce an exciting race for the first leg of the daily double.
Bryce Cooper has been racing well over recent weeks and has won two from three, the Grenfell-trained Holy Camp Clive won at Parkes last week and the ageless grey, Im Blue Double Dee, who has won 27 races and in excess of $252,000 in prizemoney should give another bold showing.
Programmed as a competitive stakes, race six should result in a win for the Trevor White-trained Exclusive Jack to be driven by Cameron Hart.
Finishing fifth at Wagga last start, the draw will suit the noted leader with challenges coming from the likes of The Matrix for Nathan Hurst, Keys To The Village from an inside gate and the backmarker Mossdale Bill for Brett Hutchings.
