Poster Storm was one of two winner for John Walters in Launceston on Sunday night. Photo by Stacey Lear
Three-year-old Poster Boy gelding Poster Storm ($6.00) opened his winning account when claiming the Tassie Wash Pace (1680m) in Launceston on Sunday night.
Driver John Walters had the pacer positioned in the one-out one-back before easing the pacer wider on the track at the top of the home straight go on to score by 1.3m over Astormzabrewen ($2.60 fav) and Quay ($3.50) in 2:01.9s.
“I didn’t want to pull him out on the corner, but everything panned out well, and I was able to pull him out in a straight line,” said Walters post-race.
“He will win again when he gets the run in a suitable race.
“Neville (Rattray, the pacers trainer) has had some problems with him, but his trial last week was the best he had felt in the run, and it was the best he had paced when I have driven him, and he had done that again tonight.
The win completed a driving double for Walters who drove the Kent Rattray-trained Miki Sanz ($5.50) to victory in an up to National Rating 49 event over 1680m.
From barrier one, the gelded son of Always B Miki settled behind the leader before working into the clear around the home turn to score a half-head win over Modern Jive ($16) in 1:59.6s.
“He just got a good run behind the leader, who kicked at about the 300m and we were able to get off.
“He just needs those cheap runs like that, and he has had those in his last four or five starts, and he has been in the placings. He is a bit of a one-pacer, and we used to try to go to the breeze on him, but it was just too tough on him,” Walters said about the win.
Driver Ryan Backhouse notched up his first win since relocating back to Tasmania after a stint in Victoria when Ollies Medal ($6.50) recorded the opening race. The gelded son of Jilliby King Fu is also owned by Backhouse, who ended the night with a double after Only Glory ($7.00) won later in the night.
The fast class race of the night was won by Stepping Stones ($9.00) for trainer-driver Heath Woods, proving too quick late for Rockandahardplace ($8.50) and The Shallows (3.30 fav) in a mile rate of 2:00.6s for the 2200m standing start race.
