A new feature race to the Burnie Harness Racing Club calendar will take place on Sunday afternoon, with the inaugural Circular Head Cup (2180m) to take place on the seven-race card.
The race was originally scheduled as a conditioned handicap for horses with up to seven wins, but was changed to a national rating 50 or better event after a lack of nominations, with fresh nominations accepted under the altered conditions.
The Circular Head Cup was added by the Burnie Harness Racing Club after receiving growing interest to stage a race meeting that broadens and encompasses the demographic west of Burnie.
Trainer-driver Kyle Pratten will be trying to win the first running with consistent 11-year-old gelding Loyola Trios, who has drawn outside of the front row in the $14,000 Standing start event.
The pacer has won 19 races, with his most recent win coming off a 20m handicap at Scottsdale earlier this month, with the gelding finishing no further back than fourth in six subsequent starts.
“At Scottsdale, we put him down in grade off 10m as we knew he would make that up pretty quickly, and we originally had him in the 45 or better on Sunday, but when the 50 or better was bumped up to $14,000, we elected to go there.
“He is in good form at the moment, and he is really good from a stand as well,” said Pratten.
The Mach Three gelding’s most recent effort was a third at Carrick Park on 22 February, after settling back in the field.
“Speed-wise, he couldn’t go with Hey Miki down the back, but he still broke 29.0s his last quarter, out five-wide on a wet track, so I couldn’t have asked for much more, and he stuck his nose out this time and got third instead of fourth,” said Pratten, who expects the pacer to perform well on Sunday.
“I think he has got a good chance. Alberio is going to be the leader, and if he is close enough, I don’t think there are too many horses in the race that can rattle off the quarters that he can.
“I know he has drawn outside of the front line and a lot of people don’t like drawing out there, but the way he races it leaves us with a few options, we can slide across, and even if we end up back in the field where he likes to race, he can step and put himself into a good postion as well,” the trainer-driver said.
Sunday’s program commences at 14:44, and at the time of writing, the first six races are scheduled to be shown on Sky Racing 2, with the last race to be shown on Sky Racing 1.
