Harness Racing: Three Chapples to appear on track during Golden Guitar races this weekend

Dean Chapple will lead the charge followed by his son Jack and daughter Elly on the paceway, while wife Julie will be helping out in the stables.

Training at Moonbi, just outside of Tamworth, Dean will contest the Multiquip Hatchery Golden Guitar Pace Heat 1 with Asterism from the six barrier.

Son Jack will then contest the Multiquip Engineering Golden Guitar Heat 3 with Standandeliver, while daughter Elly will contest the Multiquip Poultry Golden Guitar Heat 4 with Nor Westa.

"All three of us are heading into the heats with a bit of a confidence boost," Elly said.

"Jack has got a drive and after driving a winner at Bathurst last week for Bernie Hewitt that will be such a confidence boost for him, and then Dad finished third in the Gold Nugget with Despondent."

Elly, who is currently sharing her time between Newcastle where she attends university and Tamworth to compete on the track, will enjoy the confidence of a last-start winner in Nor Westa.

"I am very excited to be competing in the heats and hopefully the final," Elly said.

"The Golden Guitar is a race that I have aspired to be a part of, so to be in it is great and the little mare is going good."

Nor Westa comes into the Multiquip Poultry Golden Guitar Heat 4 after a win last Tuesday night at Tamworth.

"I thought she (Nor Westa) went super in the race and she likes to race with cover so I was happy with where we were placed in the race," Elly said.

After gaining the race lead from the two barrier in the Bevan Douglas Pace, she was happy to hand the lead up to Sports Cadet.

Racing in behind the leader, Elly commenced her run with Nor Westa from the 400-metre mark to come away for a two-metre win over Sports Cadet (Grace Panella) and I'm Boo (Matt Elkin) another two metres away in third.

"I was confident she would get the job done as she is a super little mare. She has been racing well but just under the radar" Elly said of Nor Westa.

"It was a nice race to win on Tuesday as we were wearing black arm bands for the late Pam Verning and she was a close family friend and Spud helps us out with the horses as well."

Nor Westa has drawn the six barrier in the fourth heat.

"She is a versatile race mare so we will make the best of what we are given in the barrier draw," Elly said. .

"It would be nice to be in the final. The horse that Dad is driving - Asterism - it was in last years final so hopefully we can have another crack at the big race."

In fact, Dean will have to bear the pressure for the family as he is listed as trainer of Asterism, Standandeliver and Nor Westa.

Dean and Elly have further driving engagements on the 10-race card with the former to take the reins behind his The Ringmaster in the second heat of the Hazell's Tamworth - Local Pace, while the latter will partner Brie in the Robert Munn Bookmaker Pace.

Elly will also compete at the Newcastle meeting on Friday night with three drives before heading back to Tamworth in a bid to make the $40,000 Golden Guitar Final the following Friday night.

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