Driver Mark Pitt claimed his second Ladbrokes Tasmania Pacing Cup (2579m), after partnering the Bill Dornauf-trained Celebrity Royal ($5.50) to victory in Saturday night’s $150,000 Group 1 event in Hobart.
From outside of the front-row Pitt allowed the six-year-old gelded son of Sweet Lou to work forward in the early stages of the race before finding the lead near the 2000m.
Triedtotellya ($1.24 fav) settled back in the field from his outside of the second-row draw, and raced wide over the final circuit, finishing 1.8m away in second place, with Glenledi Elvis ($71) a further 6.1m away third in a mile rate of 1:57.2s.
“It looked tricky on paper on who was going to find the front in the end, and I thought if I worked off the gate nicely and once they settled, I thought I would put the foot down and have a look for the front myself.
“I thought if he would find the front, he would be hard to beat because as soon as the other horse (Triedtotellya) pulled out, we would go full tilt and make it hard for him, and that’s how it panned out,” said Pitt, who’s previous win in the race came with the Emma Stewart-trained Wheres The Gold in 2023.
Celebrity Royal was having his eleventh race start, and only his seventh start since his 2023 Tasmanian Derby win.
Trainer Bill Dornauf said he was unsure of the pacer’s future plans but acknowledged the assistance of his brother Leigh and Mark Yole, who had driven the pacer in his recent starts this preparation.
Tasmania’s premier mares race, the Woodlands Stud George Johnson was won by the Rohan Hillier-trained and driven Nova Baxter ($4.20), who had a lovely run in the one-one, and proved too tough late at the end of the 2090m event to score by a head over Ultimaction ($1.50 fav) and Stepping Stones ($4.00) in 1:58.7s.
“I’m not sure we thought we could win that one, I thought third may have been our best chance, but the way the marbles fell, we ended up getting a good trip,” said Hillier.
“I think she probably should be retired, she is on a really hard mark, and she is not a free-for-all mare, and to go out with a race like this would be a great result.
Other feature races included the Tasmanian Labor Eric Reece Memorial (2090m) for the maiden’s won by the Rodney Ashwood-trained and driven Sport Watcher ($10), while Easter Cup prospect Mighty Jolt ($3.80) won first up in the state by a half-head in the Phillip Young Memorial Light Harness Tasmania Cup (2579m) for Micheal and Jack Laugher.
