Harness trainer Ben Yole claims national title

Yole goes into the final meeting of the season on level terms with Queensland's Grant Dixon, both having prepared 228 winners .

It's understood that if they finish on a tie they will share the title (with no countback) but that is still be confirmed.

Either way, Yole will be the first Tasmanian-based trainer to top the national table.

Dixon trained his 227^th Queensland winner at Redcliffe on Thursday and has also had one winner in New South Wales.

He doesn't have a runner at Albion Park on Friday.

In contrast, Yole will have at least 24 runners at Carrick and possibly more if any of his emergencies get a run.

He is not taking anything for granted but is hopeful of finding the winner's circle at least once.

"We've got some good chances," he said.

"I think Jo Dina is a really good chance (in race 2), Endeavour Stride has the right draw (in race 9) and Rocks Roy (race 4) is going very well."

Sidmouth-based Yole said it would be nice to win the national title outright after dominating Tasmanian racing for the past six seasons.

"We've had a very good year - our best ever - so whatever happens I can't complain," he said.

Yole first topped a century of winners in the 2015-16 season with 107. His tallies since (not counting interstate wins) have been 124, 124, 182, 189 and at least 228.

However, with Tasmania having fewer meetings than the other states, those figures, until now, haven't been high enough to win a national premiership.

His previous best finish was a third behind Dixon and Emma Stewart in 2018-19.

Trainer John Blacker will saddle up half the field when he attempts to win his third straight Longford Cup on Saturday.

Blacker has won his home-town feature for the past two years with Triple Strip and Glass Warrior, after earlier wins with Raami's Magic (1996) and The Producer (2014).

His runners this year are 58kg topweight Swoop Dog - the only horse not on the minimum weight - Super Swoop, Argyle Beach, Costero and General Maintenance.

Last season's three-year-old of the year Swoop Dog is the likely favourite ahead of John Luttrell's in-form mare Encosta Fiorente.

After winning at his second start after a spell, Swoop Dog didn't have much luck in the Sheffield Cup when fifth to Mywordis, beaten only a half length.

The only jockey riding in this year's race who has won it previously is Georgie Catania who scored on The Producer while still an apprentice.

The Longford Cup has an amazing honour roll, with past winners including San Sebastian, Piping Lane, Lord Pascoe, Brallos, Andrias, Brorama Star and The Cleaner.

The 2022 edition is again named in memory of Longford racing stalwart Jim Osborne who died in 2012.

Mr Osborne worked hard for many years to retain the annual New Year's Day race meeting when its future looked in grave doubt.

He was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for his services to thoroughbred racing and the local community.

Leading reinsman Mark Yole knows what it takes to win the St Marys Cup on a backmarker and he will be trying to do it again on Saturday.

Yole will drive Tassie Golden Apple winner Gotta Good Reason who shares the 30m back mark with Smart Little Shard.

"Obviously 30m is a big handicap but over the staying trip (2685m) he should be right in it, barring bad luck," Yole said.

Yole's 2016 winner The Majority came off a 20m handicap.

"He worked around early to the breeze then found the front," the driver recalled.

"If the pace backs off on Saturday, we might try to do the same.

"If not, he'll just have to come with a late run.

"It's a good field and a very interesting race - a lot of things could happen so I'll just have to play it by ear."

Yole said trainer Mark Reggett had been considering saving Gotta Good Reason for the Hobart Pacing Cup on Sunday week.

"But now they've increased the prizemoney to $40,000 the Victorians will probably come and it's a mobile so it will be hard to win," the driver said.

Reggett prepares Gotta Good Reason for Yole's wife Danica.