Harjeet and Iylac Beach return in Hobart

Talented pacers Harjeet and Iylac Beach return to the track in Hobart on Sunday night.

Harjeet, winner of the 2019 Hobart Pacing Cup, is first-up since running second to Yorkshire in Hobart in August 2021, after being sidelined due to a hock injury.

The winner of 21 races resumes in the Woodsdale Football Club Pace over 2090m.

“He’s been back in work a while now, I’ve brought him up really slowly because of the injury,” Rattray told The Examiner Newspaper during the week.

With a lack of open-class pacers at the trials, Rattray has opted to keep the pacer to his Longford base.

“Race fitness means a lot these days, and he’ll want to be on his game because it’s a pretty good field.

“Obviously he’ll be improved by the run, he’s always needed a few runs because he’s a big horse,” said Rattray.

Sunday’s fast class race includes last start winner Sunny Sanz and former Tasmania Cup winner The Shallows in the mobile start event.

Iylac Beach resumes earlier in the night in the Knights Cricket Club Pace.

The four-year-old gelding hasn’t raced since finishing down the track in the Group 1 Metropolitan Final of the New South Wales Regional Championship series at Menangle in late May.

Nathan Ford, partner of trainer Bianca Heenan, has partnered the pacer in three recent trials and spoke about the pacers’ prospects on this week’s Tasmanian Harness Highlights Podcast.

“I’m a bit skeptical at the moment. He has had a few issues along the way, he did a decent job in Sydney, but I thought he might have picked up another one at Menangle.

“He has got a nice trailing draw, and at worst he will be is two or three back the fence,” said Ford.

Connections of Iylac Beach have elected to utilise the five-point concession claim of Luke Hooper in the 56 to 63 rating event.

Sunday’s nine-race card commences at 17:42.