Hobart Monopoly?

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Hobart Monopoly?

NZ Harness Trainers & Drivers Assn
Published by Pete Cook in News · Friday 28 Jan 2022 ·  2:00
I have no interest in greyhound racing but, particularly on Friday evenings between harness events, Mark Rosanowski’s (who I rate a brilliant commentator) dulcet tones perk up the interest. If that has happened to you, it’s likely that you will be aware that, at every Central Districts meeting, races are dominated by the Lisa Cole stable….sorry kennel?

It is not uncommon to have the whole field taken up by Cole runners and, probably like me, you think that could never happen in harness racing. Yes, we’ve seen the odd age race full of All Stars runners, and up North many races have multiple representatives from the leading barns, particularly the trot races regularly full of Wallis and Hackett horses.
 
However, a cursory glance through the results of the Hobart harness meeting earlier this week threw that myth out the window in one hit. To say one stable was busy that night would be like saying Dexter Dunn is a good driver. In summary, this is how the fields shaped up:
 
Race 1: 12 Starters – 12 trained by Ben Yole (Yes, I said ‘who’ as well)
 
Race 2: 12 Starters – 10 trained by Ben Yole
 
Race 3: 11 Starters – 9 trained by Ben Yole
 
Race 4: 11 Starters – 7 trained by Ben Yole
 
Race 5: 13 Starters – 5 trained by Ben Yole (He had time for a cuppa and a lie down at this point!)
 
Race 6: 12 Starters – 8 trained by Ben Yole
 
Race 7: 12 Starters – 7 trained by Ben Yole
 
By my reckoning, the guy lined up (reaches for calculator) 50 horses on the night. Can you imagine the logistics involved in organising that???? The gear, the drivers, the handlers.
 
Just for the record, 37 year old Ben won 5 of the six races. I reckon he deserved that, and you would have to wonder where harness racing in Tasmania would be without him.
 
Pete Cook


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