The battle for the Tasmanian drivers’ premiership hots up at Mowbray on Sunday night as two brothers go head-to-head.
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Gareth and Todd Rattray are locked together on 78 wins with five meetings of the season remaining.
Ten-time premiership winner Gareth has 11 drives on this week’s massive 12-race program while Todd, chasing his first title, has eight.
Leading trainer Ben Yole will also be in the spotlight as he continues his quest for a Tasmanian record.
Yole has prepared 111 winners so far this season and needs only seven to equal Neville Webberley’s 1990-91 tally.
His Sidmouth stable could have up to 34 runners if two emergencies gain a start.
The feature race on Sunday night is the $12,000 Golden Slipper which has only five runners but all have a chance.
Old Beach trainer Paul Hill will be trying to add to his remarkable record in juvenile races with Bouquet Of Roses, a winner of her only start in Hobart a fortnight ago.
DOUBLE-HEADER WITH 22 RACES
The Mowbray meeting is the second leg of a huge racing double-header in Northern Tasmania on Sunday.
There are also 10 thoroughbred races at Spreyton, giving punters almost 11 hours of non-stop action.
The Spreyton meeting starts at 11.13am and partially overlaps the Mowbray meeting that doesn’t finish until 9.40pm.
It will be the busiest single day of racing in Northern Tasmania this season.
The Spreyton program has been extended by two races to compensate for the loss of most of last Sunday’s Hobart meeting due to the state of the track.
Another four races will be added to Spreyton meetings over the next month.
It’s the final thoroughbred meeting of the season and leading trainer Scott Brunton needs four winners to bring up a century on Tasmanian tracks.
If he gets a double, he will bring up a national century, as he’s also won two races in Melbourne.
Brunton has 10 final acceptors and eight are very prominent in early betting.
Royal Riches, Bastetani and No Money No Honey are short-priced favourites.
SIORCA RETURNS IN HOT SPRINT FIELD
Promising four-year-old Siorca returns form a spell in the main race, the Benchmark 82 Handicap, where he strikes a hot field.
All 10 runners would have a chance on their best form.
Siorca was impressive winning a trial in the fastest time of the morning on July 18 and has never missed a place in four first-up runs.
He is being aimed at the $25,000 Luxbet All Weather Distance Final on August 27, a race he won last year.
Over Sunday’s shorter trip, he can expect some tough opposition from in-form gallopers Killin Falls and Lord Farquaad.
Killin Falls won three races in a row before a good second to Underplay a fortnight ago.
The Glenn Stevenson-trained gelding was dropping back from 1350m to 1150m in that race and finished strongly after being held up at the 400m.
If he continues to improve, the Newmarket Handicap at Mowbray in November or the feature 1600m races over summer might not be beyond his scope.