3 minute read
Another successful night racing season comes to a close with the final meeting to be held in Launceston this Wednesday.
Eight events are scheduled with the first timed to start at 17.13.
Trainer Barry Baker is hoping to make the meeting a family affair with three horses he is tracking to the track, all to be ridden by daughter Chelsea.
"She's going really well, she's only been riding 2.5 years and already outridden her claim, I'm really pleased with her progress," Baker said.
"I think they've all got a chance, bad barrier draws for two of them though."
The first of the team goes around in race one, (1220m maiden) Tigers On Top, a lightly raced 3yo who was beaten a 'lip' on debut in Hobart last year and has been competitive in two runs since finishing fourth on each occasion.
"She's a little forward going filly, we've popped the blinkers on the for the first time just to get her to concentrate a bit more and we are hopeful of a good showing."
In the second race a 1420m maiden, Baker will saddle-up Foreign Legion a 6yo who has only raced 10 times and was a fast finishing second over 1400m here on 29 March.
"He's had that 2.5 weeks between runs which we thought he needed and I think he will be thereabouts, it is a sticky gate second from the outside but if Chelsea can get him into a nice position I think he will be hard to beat.
I think Foreign Legion has got the best form of the three but the one of Stevo's (Wickham Light) is the one to beat."
Belpine Miss will round out the night for the Baker stable in the 0-62 (1220m).
"She's one of those little mares that if there is trouble she seems to find it. She's another one the barrier gods don't look at too favourably, she always seems to draw a bad gate.
"The way we need to ride her to get the best out of her, and she always has really good closing sectionals, but seems to get hindered by something happening during the run. Her last couple of runs I think we can draw a line through."
Although it is odds-on ($1.75) Wickham Light does look to be the best bet on the card, a 'good thing' beaten first-up the 3yo is sure to have taken benefit from that run.
For a bit of value I thought the run of Forest Diamond ($10) was a cracker last time and after two runs in from a spell should be ready to produce her best in the 0-62 (1220m) race four on the card.
Duncan Dornauf will be trackside with all the action from the meeting live on TasracingTV.
