Harness racing will return to the Tamworth Paceway on Thursday afternoon with a nine-race program and while the Tamworth Club has been on a "mini break" a top surface has been undertaken to the track.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The meeting will see reinswoman Madi Young undertaking three drives fresh from her first Menangle winning drive last Saturday night.
It was a dream come true for the 20-year-old when she piloted the Brent Lilly trained Islandspecialmajor to a victory in the Autism Effect 1in70 Pace at headquarters.
Young followed her step father into the sport - Tamworth-based trainer Greg Coney.
"It would be nice to back that Menangle win up," Young said.
"The owners were stoked with the win."
Islandspecialmajor was also having his first start at Tabcorp Park Menangle with all of the five-year-old gelding's prior runs being in Victoria and it was the first time Young had linked up with the pacer.
"I have been working on a Menangle win for a while," she said.
"It was a bit of luck at the end of the day but the horse went good."
For Young once she hit the 200 metres from home mark it was a case of counting it down to the line.
"I didn't realise I was going to win and then I thought at the 100 mark I have hit the front - I am going to win," she said.
"Its hard to know how you will finish until you hit the top of the straight."
"When Greg rang me, I started to cry," Young added of the phone call she received from her step father to congratulate her on the win.
Dedicated to her career Madi Young was crowned the 2018 HRNSW Recipient of the Junior Driver Encouragement Award and also acted as an Ambassador for the NSW Standardbred Owners Association and is the current HRNSW Rising Star Champion after taking out the 2018 series and will be defending her title come June.
At the Tamworth meeting Young will be once again take the reins behind the Wayne Gray trained Shadow Dealer who will commence from the four barrier in the Radio 88.9FM Tamworth Pace and comes into the race off a last start win at Dubbo on Easter Saturday in taking out a Final.
"The Dubbo race suited him," she said.
"The the speed was on the whole way."
"He doesn't feel like he has got anything when you pull him out - he is a relaxed race horse for sure."
The Hazell's Best Presented Horse Pace will see Young link up with the Richard Williams trained Midnight Montana from the eight barrier and Goodtime Hero for her step father's stables in the Hygain Release Pace.
"Its always hard to win a race at Tamworth," she added.
"But Midnight Montana could be a good chance."
Of her three chargers she said: "It all just depends on how the races pan out".
The Tamworth meeting will also see the launching of a new career for Ashlea McKinnon who has obtained her trainers licence and will strengthen the Williams Racing Stables.
McKinnon, who is the fiancé of trainer Richard Williams, has her first two runners engaged at the Tamworth meeting in The Puritan and Mondo Sports who are pitted against each other in the Hazell's Best Presented Horse Pace.
Elly Chapple who launched her career as a reinswoman at the recent Narrabri harness meeting will be making her debut on her home track of Tamworth with two drives.
The eye-catching Alldressedup will be showcased in the opening event with Chapple aboard in the TAB. Com.Au Pace followed by Apollon in the feature race of the day - The Perc Verning Memorial.
