After being stranded on 149 career wins for the past few weeks, harness racing driver Jacob Duggan notched up his 150th win in the opening race at the Ladbrokes Racing Centre Mowbray, in Launceston on Sunday afternoon.
The milestone came aboard Tappy ($3.30), who flashed home down the outside after settling back on the pylons to score by a neck in the Ladbrokes Blackbook Pace (2200m).
“It felt like it was never coming, but it was good to get the monkey off the back,” Duggan said.
“There were times when we were getting close. I think the week prior we had a few seconds and thirds. It was close, but not close enough.”
Tappy, a three-year-old gelded son of Always B Miki, started his racing career in Victoria before joining the stable of Jacob’s father, Adrian, for his four starts before Sunday’s win.
“He didn’t have much luck in the Tasmanian Derby and got held up, but prior to that he’s been hitting the line really well and his times have been really good as well.
“The longer he’s been here, the more we’ve got to know him. His track work is really starting to improve, and we really like him,” said the driver.
Jacob didn’t have to wait as long for his 151st winner, partnering the Troy Hillier-trained Didyalousaroosta ($2.70 fav) who claimed the Bevan Lee’s Butchery Stakes (1680m), in a slick mile rate of 1:56.7s.
From barrier two on the second line, the pacer was able to drop behind the leader before getting out in plenty of time to record a half-neck win.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better run early. We didn’t have to do much and got there without doing anything.
“The whole way he felt the winner a long way out. He was really good.
“He’s got a little bit of a habit of knocking off late if he gets there too early, but it was good to see him really hit the line,” said the driver.
Duggan will undergo minor surgery on his ACL on Tuesday and will be sidelined from the sulky for the next few weeks.
He wasn’t the only driver to enjoy a successful day, with the state’s leading driver this season, Dylan Ford, taking driving honours with a treble.
The treble was headlined by the in-form Go The Red ($2.15 fav), who won the Ladbrokes Big Bets Copy Now Free For All (1680m) in a mile rate of 1:55.9.
The biggest winning margin was recorded by Crayons To Perfume ($1.20 fav), who won the Ladbrokes Fast Payouts Pace (2200m) a no more than two lifetime event, and was one of two winners for driver Tiarna Ford.
