Davis chasing more Group 3 wins on Sunday

Harness racing driver Brodie Davis is set to have a busy weekend.

On Friday night, he drove a winner in Hobart and was set to drive at the King Island meeting on Saturday before several drives in Launceston on Sunday afternoon.

His trip to Hobart proved to be successful, driving a winner, but the King Island trip didn’t go to plan. That meeting was abandoned an hour after he made the trip from his Spreyton base to Launceston Airport.

Davis, 18, has a two-win lead over Mitch Ford on the state junior drivers premiership with 11 meetings (including King Island) to go this season.

His season has included two Group 3 wins in the Easter Cup and Evicus, and he has chances on Sunday to add two other Group 3 races to his resume in the Bandbox and Globe Derby.

In the 6ty° Bandbox (2200m), he partners Tambros Tilly, who is prepared by his father, Steve.

The Bling It On filly has won four from 13 this season and didn’t get a lot of clear racing room from an inside of the second-row draw in the prelude on 17 November.

“She was stuck on the pegs the whole way in the prelude.

“From barrier one (in Sunday’s final) she should sit pretty close to them.

“I would like to lead up, but we will just see how she comes out, and she should be there in the finish,” said the driver.

Davis’ luck with the barrier draw continued in the Nutrien Ag Solutions Globe Derby Final (2200m), where he partners Smooth Machete from the pole.

The Mark Reggett-trained Ultimate Machete colt has won eight of his 15 starts, including in the prelude two weeks ago, where he scored by 2.1m over Custom Harley.

“I’m very happy with the draw.

“It’s the same field as last start and he beat them convincingly so hopefully from the good draw he should be hard to beat.”

Davis will also compete in the 6ty° Youngbloods Challenge, with has four heats scheduled. He rates Octagonise in the final race of the day as his best winning chance.

His winner in Hobart on Friday night came the way of the Paul Ashwood-trained Miss Collann ($3.40 fav), who won her second race since arriving in the state from New South Wales in July.

“She came out of the gate well and got an easy lead. She ran away from them well in the straight in slick time, and I reckon she will improve from that run and be good going forward,” the driver said about the win.

Grace Jones took driving honours at the Hobart meeting, where she landed her first-ever winning double with wins aboard Hay Miki ($2.50 fav) and Iden Black Prince ($8), who was rewarded for some eye-catching runs in recent starts.