Twin brothers Rohan and Troy Hillier, who both train at Beauty Point, hold the key to the $46,000 Tassie Golden Apple series at Mowbray.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In only its second year, the feature pacing event opens with two $8100 heats on Friday night leading into a $30,000 final on Saturday December 21.
Rohan Hillier's Ryley Major is the backmarker off 30m in the opening heat while Illegal Immigrant, trained by Troy Hillier, is off the same mark in the second heat.
While both horses have superior form to their rivals, their handicaps will be difficult to overcome over the relatively short 2200m course.
Most feature standing-start events are over 2500m or longer, giving the backmarkers more time to make up the leeway.
MORE RACING: Zippy Carr steers through traffic
Ryley Major's main opposition could come from Full Speed Ahead, a notable quick beginner who could zoom straight to the lead from barrier six.
He has a win over Ryley Major to his credit four starts ago.
Illegal Immigrant's toughest rival could be Blackbird Power who is going as well as any horse in the race but is a notoriously risky beginner.
He beat Illegal Immigrant home in the NWTLHA Cup at Devonport two starts ago and now meets him on 10m better terms.
Tasmania's leading trainer Ben Yole will have five runners - Somedan in heat one and Just Say Go, Rocknroll Music, Frostyflyer and Max Richter in heat two.
Yole is coming off a five-win haul in Hobart last Sunday night when successful with Willybe, Quick Changeover, Mach Charm, Give Me The Night and Jeans Mattjesty.
It took him to 30 wins for the season to lead the premiership table well ahead of Rohan Hillier on 16 and Marc Butler on 12.
However, Yole has had 550 runners whereas Hillier and Butler both have exceptional strike-rates of almost 50 percent.
Heat one of the Tassie Golden Apple series will get under way at 7.42pm, with the second heat to follow at 8.18pm.
ELSEWHERE IN SPORT