HARNESS racing returns to Leeton tomorrow night and does so with a buzz around the club.
Leeton Harness Racing Club has just received the news that there is a great possibility it will become a TAB club and could be granted up to 12 TAB meetings next season. The proposed introduction of a second TAB Sky Channel could see Leeton become a TAB meeting along with Albury and still race on some Saturday nights.
All details are to be passed by the board of Harness Racing NSW, but as Allan Wallett spoke to Sam Nati, chief executive officer of HRNSW, on Wednesday morning to confirm the possibility of the good news for the club, all things are looking up.
Leeton president Gary Punch was thrilled with the news, but still declared that the club will most likely be a restricted club.
Tomorrow's meeting was originally a night meeting, but an issue with the lights means it will now be a twilight meeting. The first race will now be run at 5.10pm as opposed to 7.10pm with all races moved forward two hours. Gates will be open from about 4pm.
The highlight of the meeting will be the fifth race of the night, the WIN Television Leeton Pacers Cup, which has attracted a great field.
No Encore will return for the race from Shepparton after the 10-year-old gelding almost broke the track record on New Year's night and could be the hardest to beat. Kyema Khan won two races over the same carnival and ran a mile rate of 1.57 over the sprint trip at Cobram last start and has to be a major player.
The classy gelding can sprint quick over the final 400m and connections feel he has improved since Cobram and is ready to roll.
With the first race to be underway by 5.10pm, spectators won't want to miss the chance to see three-year-old filly Charlotte Brew, which is trained by David Eurell and will be driven by premier reinsman Bill Trembath. The talented filly is owned by four Leeton businessmen and should make light work of her rivals after having seven starts as a two-year-old for one win and five places and almost $20,000 in the bank.
Most of those starts were at Melbourne against quality horses.
In the second race, Gentlemanscrossing, driven and trained by Trembath, Costalotaloot and Its All Art look to have it between them.
Trembath could make it three on the trot with a drive on Donoson in the third. Donoson won the Breeders Plate in 2007 and returns for the O'Donoghue stable of Shepparton.
With the likes of Gemma Rouge and Abovenbeyond in the race, they are sure to make it hard for Donoson, who will have to come from outside of the second line.
Race four is the Kevin Sullivan Memorial and should prove a great race with all horses in form and a chance. Shortnspeedy, Fulloftrumps, Sarahs Jasper and Casino On Ice are all good chances, but any one of the other horses could win.
After the Pacers Cup, it would be too hard to pick a winner on paper in the sixth as it looks an evenly graded maiden pace and punters should watch the market as there are three first starters, which means anything could happen.
The last race will be run at 8.10am and Wamboyne Warrior, Storm Cruiser and Alotoftrouble look to have it between them, but will be worth waiting for as it will be another great race.