Keeping Pace: Carnival of Cups set for Narrabri on Sunday

The club hosted its heats meeting for the Carnival of Cups on Easter Monday.

Congratulations to 14-year-old Jack Chapple, who called the six-race program - showing he has a career as a race broadcaster ahead of him after handling the proceedings with the ease and confidence you would expect to see from someone much older.

Jack is the son of leading Moonbi-based trainer-driver Dean Chapple, and the younger brother of promising driver Elly Chapple.

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There were two heats of the John Dean Memorial, with the Tony Missen-trained Hand Writer winning the first heat while the Norm Soles-trained Feel The Spirit secured the second heat.

Hand Writer, a Sportswriter mare, was having her first start for the Missen stables since coming from Canberra. She also recorded her first career win, in race start eight.

Feel The Spirit - a Mr Feelgood four-year-old mare - secured her first career win, in her third race start, and was driven by Tom Ison.

Hand Writer has secured the four barrier in the $10,000 John Dean Memorial Final on Sunday while Feel The Spirit has secured the six barrier.

The first heat of the Santos Cup went the way of Akuma, for trainer and reinswoman Caitlin McElhinney, while the Tony Missen stables picked up entry to their second final after I'm So Better won the second heat.

I'm So Better has secured the visitors draw of 10 in the $11,000 Santos Cup final while Akuma has drawn the one barrier.

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The 58th running of the $20,000 Maitland Inter City Pace last Saturday night went the way of the Clayton Harmey-trained I'm Quick As Fire, driven by Robbie Morris, with a winning margin of 2.7m over stable mate Azur Express (Brad Elder).

Ultra Bliss (Josh Gallagher), from the Neil Thompson stables, was a further 3.7m away in third place.

It was the first time that Harmey has won the time-honoured race. And after the heats, which were conducted the previous Monday prior, the Nulkaba-based trainer had qualified six runners out of the final field of 10.

The lone Tamworth runner, Shadow Pass - trained by Andy Ison and driven by his son Tom - finished seventh.

We convey our condolences to Harmey and his partner, Ange, on the sad loss of Clayton's father Doug, who passed away a day after the win.

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The Easter break saw young local drivers picking up winners, with Madi Young having success at Dubbo when she drove Karinya Jude to a win. She also and a third-placing with Karaoke Rock. Both runners are trained by Greg Coney at Tamworth.

Coney then headed out to the Narrabri meeting on Easter Monday and won the opening event with Datizit, who was driven by Young.

The gelding was having his first start for the stables, after coming out of Victoria for the Coney stables, and will contest the Narrabri Cup on Sunday.

Blake Hughes also had success - driving a winning double at the Maitland meeting on Saturday night for trainer Stacie Elliott. He drove Whereyagoinbabe and Classic Arc before heading out to the Narrabri meeting and securing another winning double.

Making his first trip to the Narrabri Paceway, Hughes picked up the wins behind Hand Writer and I'm So Better.

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