Big night on track for Bianca with feature success

Owner, trainer and breeder Bianca Heenan claimed one of her biggest harness racing wins when Iylac Pakaria took out the Cavalor Equine 2YO Fillies Sweepstakes Final in Hobart on Saturday night (Sep. 3).

She was sent out as the $1.85 favourite, the daughter of Betting Line had to do a little bit of work early in the mile event to find the lead before tapping the brakes during the second quarter.

The filly was asked for the supreme effort by Mitch Ford at the top of the home straight, and the filly responded by digging deep late to score by 3.6m over Scarlet Place in a mile of 2m 0.5s.

“I’m over the moon. I can’t thank Nathan (Ford) and Bianca enough,” said an emotional Mitch Ford after claiming his biggest race win.

“Once they handed up, and I got a cheap second quarter, I knew she would out sprint them from there,” added the winning driver.

Heenan explained post-race that it hadn’t been smooth sailing for the undefeated filly after three starts.

“After her first win at Launceston, she picked up a bug, so we were lucky to get her to the heat, but then she went through the heat a little bit underdone as we couldn’t put much work into her.

“After the heat run, she got another little bug, so we had to nurse her again. We got some work into her later in the week, and then she comes out and does that tonight,” Heenan explained.

The filly is named after the Heenan’s former stable favourite, Star Chamber, who passed away earlier this year, and her late mother-in-law Karyn Ford.

“My Mum was given a book by her great grandmother who was aboriginal and in that book it had Pakaria meaning shooting star.

“Iylac is a combination of Nathan, and I’s children Iylah and Alec.”

The filly will now be aimed at the $60,000 Group 2 Evicus that commences in November.

Another Sires’ Stakes prospect from the Heenan stable will by Iylac Beach, who won later in the night.

Reinsman Dylan Ford launched the pacer from barrier seven to lead and prove too good for his rivals late.

The half-relation to Iylac Pakaria is eligible for the $60,000 Raider Stakes in Launceston later in the year.

For complete race results and replays, click here.

by Duncan Dornauf, for Tasracing