Former New Zealand pacer Dalton Shard will be chasing his first win in almost a year when he tackles Friday night’s first heat of the Group 1 Ladbrokes Tasmania Pacing Cup.
Because of how Easter falls on the calendar this year, the Tasmania Cup was moved to February, but that isn’t the only change for the 2579m event.
The race, which has had four start-type changes in the past, will return to a mobile start in 2026 and is a random barrier draw.
Dalton Shard had contested several feature races, whose last win was in 1:55.5s at Addington in late February.
The Always B Miki six-year-old gelding had one trial during a stint in Victoria when trained by Dean Braun, before joining the Michael Laugher stable for his Tasmanian Campaign.
His Australian debut was in the Devonport Cup in Launceston on 31 January, where he started from a 30m handicap in the 2698m standing start race, when coming from back in the field to flash home to finish second.
“He went pretty well, and I was happy with him. You couldn’t have asked him to have gone on better.
“I’m a bit disappointed in the draw (barrier seven) this week, so hopefully he can have more luck next time,” said Michael.
“Dean Braun had done all the work with him in Victoria and sent him down ready to go, and we have just got to keep him up to the same level.”
Michael’s son, Jack, will return home from Victoria to take the drive after recently becoming the seventh Tasmanian driver to reach 1,000 driving wins.
“It’s a pretty good effort. He does a lot of hours, a lot of work, and a lot of travel over there.”
Triedtotellya, a leading contender for the 2025 Tasmanian Horse Of The Year, has been installed as the short-priced favourite, with his chances aided by drawing barrier one.
Trainer-driver Rohan Hillier elected to miss the Devonport Pacing Cup with the six-year-old gelding, where he was expected to start off a significant handicap.
Triedtotellya hasn’t raced since taking 1.7s off the 2579m track record, jointly held by Kingman and Willie Go West, on 11 January.
The first six placegetters in heat one qualify for the final, with a further heat of the Tasmania Cup scheduled for 20 February before the $150,000 Group 1 final on 28 February.
Friday’s card commences at 17:02, with races three and four to be shown on Sky Racing 1, with the remaining races on Sky Racing 2.
