Tassie ton looms large for Yole

The State’s leading trainer of the past two years Ben Yole is assured of securing a winning hat-trick of titles this season and for the third successive year topping the magical three-figure tally.

Ben is closing in on 100 winners for the season in Tasmania and goes into tonight’s seven-event Launceston Pacing Club card sitting on 98 wins, a massive 41 winners ahead of his nearest rival Todd Rattray on the Premiership Table.

In 2015/16 Ben trained 107 winners and boosted that to a record-breaking 124 last season and will be looking to better the mark this year with two months of the season still remaining.

“The team works hard to keep everything ticking over during the week at our Sidmouth stables and it’s a large logistical operation come race night but everyone pitches in to get the job done.” said Ben.

“We have 30 runners in six races tonight in Launceston across the seven race card so there will no time for a spell, it will be a matter of all hands on deck.”

Although there are less than two meetings a week throughout the year in Tasmania the Yole stable has had more runners than any other stable in the country, gearing up 1655 starters through the first 10 months of the season.

The remaining five States all race seven-days a week yet Queensland’s Grant Dixon is the only leading State trainer to come close on numbers with 1,581 runners, followed by KerryAnn Turner from New South Wales on 866, Gary Hall Snr with 474 starters in Western Australia while South Australia’s leading trainer Ryan Hryhorec is on 251.

“We enjoyed a good night last Sunday in Launceston with four winners including No Apachemee ($12.10), Ready To Fire ($4.90), and Im Full Tilt ($26.90), who all go round again tonight and will be among the chances on their best form and Rocknrollhightlight ($3.60 fav – pictured inside) has taken it to another level recently winning three of her last four starts,” said a quietly confident trainer.

“It will be a great feeling to notch up the 100 again this season, hopefully it may even come tonight and then we will set out to topple our 124 record from last season.”

Tonight’s seven-event Launceston Pacing Club meeting, commencing at 16.49, may be viewed via the live stream service at tasracing.com.au.

Shane Yates