Ison ready for a Final flurry

FRIDAY night’s Carnival of Cups meeting at Tamworth Harness Racing Club will give young reinsman Tom Ison the chance to add to a burgeoning resume of feature wins.

The finale to Tamworth’s January racing carnival at Tamworth includes the $40,000 Multiquip Golden Guitar Final, the $14,000 Garrard’s Horse & Hound Tamworth City Cup and the $12,000 Hazells Tamworth Local Pace.

And after driving four winners at last Sunday evening’s meeting, Tamworth-based Ison will be looking for more success with five drives at the meeting.

“It has been a really good carnival – actually it always is good,” Ison told National Trotguide on-line.

“The prizemoney has been good and there has been some solid racing.

“I think it’s pretty impressive to see a couple of new track records but that is what happens when the good horses come to town.

Ison will be looking for his second win in the Tamworth Property Co-Dash for Cash to be contested over 1230m.

A second placing in the sprint race in 2015 with the ‘Spud’ Verning-trained Alyeska Dream and a win in the 2017 running with the Richard Williams-trained Coralie Joy places Ison in a knowledgeable spot when he takes the reins behind Racing Paula, trained by his father Andy Ison.

“I like her chances,” said Ison.

“I think she can run a slippery 1230 metres.”

Racing Paula will begin from the two barrier.

Last start winner Our Aunty Ash comes out of gate nine in the $14,000 Tumby Park Ron Whitton Memorial (1609m).

“I think she is a good chance to have a back-up win,” said Ison.

“She had a tough run last start and had to do a lot of work early and found the line well.”

Our Aunty Ash had a two-metre win in a mile rate of 1.57.1 over the 1609m from barrier six last start for Ison with that run being the second race start for the young trainer after the mare previously raced in Queensland.

An outside drive for Tamworth trainer Brendan James will see Ison guide Mega Star from the nine barrier in the $12,000 Hazells Tamworth Local Pace Final after finishing second to Mac Stubborn from the Anthony Varga stables in the first heat.

“He went well last week finishing second and he had a win two starts before that,” said Ison.

“The race is a good one for the locals to pick up some of the good prizemoney and get a look-in.

“Rod and Di Hazell are great sponsors so we appreciate having a local race at this big meeting.”

Ison will have a drive earlier in the day for the James stables when he partners Lady Pebbles in the $12,000 NSWSOA Mares Members Bonus Pace (1609m).

The crescendo of the night of racing for Ison will be the $40,000 Multiquip Golden Guitar Final with one of his own pacers in Metallica Man. who secured entry with a win in the second heat of the Golden Guitar Series last Sunday evening.

“I really liked his run in that race,” said Ison.

“I like our draw in gate three as he has good gate speed; I think he is a big chance.

“It will take a good one (horse) to get around him.”

Metallica Man had a 1.6 metre win over Bathurst pacer Promising from the Bernie Hewitt stables with He Said She Said (Brendan Barnes) from the Graham Dwyer stables 4.6m away third in a 1.57.2 mile rate.

With no race favourite winning a heat leading into the final, Ison is happy with the composure of the field with first and second from the five heats contested in the series gaining entry into the final and the fastest third as the emergency.

“The horses that are in the final are the ones I expected to see there,” he said.

“With the favourites not winning a heat last meeting it just played into the hands of everyone else.”

Remaining winners of the heats were Surf Ace from the Graham Dwyer stables; Chap Daddy from the Bernie Hewitt stables; Gottashopearly from the Richard Williams stables and Man from Braavos for Melanie Elder.

• JULIE MAUGHAN