Tamworth trainer and reinsman Sam Ison will be on a mission at the Tamworth harness meeting on Wednesday afternoon as he chases back-to-back wins with Just Tommy.
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Ison is looking for another win from the six-year-old gelding after taking out the Billy Grima Memorial last start at Tamworth.
The feature on the eight-race card at Tamworth is the race that Ison is chasing - the Sam Ison Memorial Pace - a race named in honour of his late grandfather and namesake who young Sam speaks fondly of.
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"He was a past president of the Tamworth club and he was a voice for the owners and trainers," Ison said of his grandfather.
"He had a passion for harness racing and I am sure he would be proud of how we have all come up through the sport..
"Nan [Barbara] still comes to the meetings to watch us race."
Just Tommy has drawn the seven barrier but he will have some family opposition from the five barrier in Shadow Pass who is trained by his father Andy and will be driven by his younger brother Tom.
"Tom's horse can pull if he gets excited so I guess he will be looking for the front," Ison said.
The Ison family has been trying to win the Sam Ison Memorial since its inception four years ago.
"We got beaten a nose in the first running back in 2017 with Bassey," Ison added.
Ison trained Bassey for Tamworth owners in Di and Rod Hazell and is now looking after the racing career of Just Tommy for the couple.
"The win last start was a little unexpected but Rod was happy," Ison said of Just Tommy who was paying $71 to win last start.
Just Tommy gained a head win over Overthemoon, trained by Andy Ison and driven by Tom Ison with Montana Nights (Murray Sullivan) six metres away third.
"We have a better barrier draw this start and my horse is a sit and sprint horse so I would like to land about three back the pegs but we will see what happens after the first lap," Ison said.
The Sam Ison Memorial will be conducted over the 1980-metre race distance, the same as Just Tommy's last start race distance which was covered with a mile rate of 1.59.1.
"It is a very even field and I think it will be a close finish," Ison said.
"I would like to be the first one from my family to win the memorial race but just as happy if Dad and Tom win the race - someone in the family has to be the first."
The family will also be making the most of the last race on the program with Sam taking the reins behind High Stakes while Tom will take the reins behind Overthemoon - both trained by their father Andy Ison.
"It's good to have Tom home and occasionally beat him on the track," Ison said.
With both Sam and Tom carrying race silks that have a very heavy "green" effect maybe the luck of the Irish will be on the side of the Ison family on Wednesday.
