Farroh Joe ready to defy tricky draw in $75,000 final

Victorian trainer Peter Fiscalini isn’t concerned about the second-row draw for his two-year-old gelding Farroh Joe in the $75,000 Group 2 Woodlands Stud Dandy Patch Final (2090m) for the Tasbred two-year-old colts and geldings at Hobart’s Ladbrokes Park Elwick on Saturday night.

Farroh Joe finished second in his heat before leading throughout to defeat older horses in Launceston last Sunday, recording a mile rate of 1:57.2s.

“I don’t think Gareth (Rattray, driver) was real impressed with the draw, but I’m quite happy with it back there,” said Fiscalini after drawing barrier four on the second-line.

“He’s a better stayer than he is a sprinter.”

“He’s a lot better from the back of the field than what he is up front,” said the trainer, who wasn’t too concerned with the pacer switching off late in Launceston.

“If you have a look at the replay at Kilmore (in mid-July), he did the same thing to me, and I had to get busy on him at the last 20 metres. Then it took me halfway down the back straight before I pulled him up again,” the trainer said.

Fiscalini bid for the Century Farroh gelding at the 2025 Tasmanian Harness Yearling Sale, securing him shortly after he left the ring when he failed to meet his reserve. The trainer had trained his half-relation Big Boy Mal.

He has been staying with Gareth Rattray and Melissa Maine during his stay in Tasmania.

“Melissa was saying that nine of those horses were foaled down on her property, and six of the fillies were also foaled down on the property.”

A baker by trade, Fiscalini prepares one or two horses at a time.

“I knock off at half past five in the morning, and then go to the horses, and I would rather put 110% into one or two than have too many.”

Farroh Joe will head to the paddock after Saturday’s race, and will be aimed at the Bathurst Carnival in March, with a trip back to Tasmania in 2027 for several Tasbred races on the radar.

Early markets have the Charlie Castles-trained and driven Pogacar as the $3.60 favourite ahead of Bettor Than Ready at $3.70.

Trainer Chris Howlett plays a strong hand in the Woodlands Evicus Final (1609m) for the Tasbred fillies.

He prepared both heat winners, Kooky and Danger Beware, with both runners at the top of the betting at $1.40 and $2.90.

This season, Howlett has a winning strike rate of 31.31%, ranking third nationally among trainers with at least 75 starters this term, behind Emma Stewart and Jason Grimson.

Last year’s Evicus winner, Twilight Storm, is the short-priced favourite for the Woodlands Three Year Old Fillies Championship (2090m), while Port Run Machine is the race favourite in the Woodlands Tasmanian Guineas (2090m) and will be eyeing off a winning hat-trick.

The 10-race card begins at 18:09, with races one and two to be shown on Sky Racing 2, and the remainder of the card scheduled for Sky Racing 1. Adrian Collins will provide hosted coverage on the Tasracing Live stream.

By Duncan Dornauf for Tasracing