What a night of racing it was at Tamworth last Saturday night.
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With 11 races on the program, there were plenty of standouts. Cessnock reinsman Blake Hughes was the star after driving five winners - four for his boss Clayton Harmey and one for Narrabri trainer Jarred Hetherington in Tap It In.
Hughes, 17, only commenced his career back in October 2018, with his biggest prior success three winners at a recent Newcastle meeting. At the time, he said: "It would be good to get a few more of them (wins)."
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After Hughes had driven his first three winners at Tamworth - Chevrons Reward, Tap It In and Jimmy The Editor - he was still concentrating on the task at hand.
"I was still thinking of the next drive," he said.
Hughes then had wins behind Platinum Revolution and Lady Sharnae and nearly picked up his sixth win for the night with his drive behind Playboy President but was beaten a half head by Roll With Annie, driven by Jemma Coney.
Hughes' older brother Jake also picked up a win, claiming the opening event with the Greg Franklin-trained Three Mugs In.
"I thought I was in with a chance of six wins but Jemma got me on the line," Hughes said.
"I was happy with the five wins and Clayton was happy for me as well - the meeting went better than I expected."
The four wins for Harmey took his career training tally to 700 winners.
Jemalong reinsman Murray Sullivan made both a return to the gig and the winners circle when he drove Splash of Gold in the PKF Chartered Accountants Tamworth Pace for Narrabri trainer Jarred Hetherington, giving Hetherington a training double for the night after earlier success with Tap It In.
"It wasn't bad considering. I haven't sat behind a horse for six months," Sullivan said. "I told Jarred it would be my best drive of the night."
Sullivan has been on the sidelines of late working on the family farm near Forbes and enjoying time with his children, two-year-old Sadie and 15-week-old Kenneth.
"She (Splash of Gold) was a bit fierce in the preliminary but it was a good win," he said.
"The last drive I had was at Forbes at their ANZAC Day meeting.
"It was good to get back for the drive but we are starting to cut hay in a week's time so I will be busy."
Coney produced her first driving double, with Queens Angel and new stable runner Roll With Annie, at the Saturday night meeting, which also produced a training double for her father Greg Coney.
The final race of the night was certainly an added bonus to owner Anne Brown, who was at the Harness Racing NSW Awards night in Sydney accepting her Volunteer of the Year Award when her horse Summer Money produced a win at Tamworth.
Summer Money is trained and was driven by her grandson Scotty-Jon Welsh and the win in the PKF Super Pace saw a return of $71 to the brave punter.
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IT WAS with a heavy heart that Michael and Kirsty Formosa released the news through the week that their champion pacer Ultimate Art - or Thomas as he was affectionately known - had passed away. Aged 10, Ultimate Art was retired from racing back in March to commence stud duties.
Purchased as a yearling for $7000, Ultimate Art went on to win 38 races in 117 starts and prizemoney of $621,996.
Ultimate Art, won on debut at Newcastle before going on to win some nice races including a Bathurst Gold Crown Group 1 in 2012 as a two year old.
He then backed that up with a Bathurst Group 3 Chalice win as a three-year-old.
He also won a Newcastle Guineas, a Breeders Challenge Final at Goulburn, a Pub Group Gold Nugget at Tamworth and a heat of the Inter Dominion in 2015.
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MOONBI horses Esspe Supreme and I'm Quite American will race in Menangle on Saturday night in a $20,000 Final after taking out their respective heats at Tamworth. Good Luck.
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HARNESS racing will be back at Tamworth on Wednesday night for another big night of racing that will showcase two heats of the Indigenous Drivers Series and the NSW SOA races.
