Nulkaba trainer Clayton Harmey has two starters in the TAB Hunter Region Championship Final on Saturday night.
KANYE CRUSADER qualified in the first round of heats on Friday 9 May and Harmey says that the week off should suit him well given that he’d raced quite a lot in the lead up to the series. Jack Callaghan will take the reins on Saturday night.
WESTERN HEIR starts as race favourite, qualifying in the Round 2 heats after going around in Round 1 also. Harmey is happy with the No. 1 barrier draw over the 2030m distance. Owned by Lawrie Carpenter and Ange Morris, WESTERN HEIR will be driven by Josh Osborn wearing the family and long time racing colours - orange with black maltese cross.
Both horses led throughout their qualifying races, but Harmey believes all the starters are contenders, any scenario can play out.
Asked about his thoughts on the regional series format Harmey is a firm supporter, “many of the trainers in this race have never had the opportunity to feature in a Group 1 event, it’s given the locals a chance they may never have had otherwise. It’s great to keep the prizemoney in the area and it would be great to see this as a regular fixture on the racing calendar” says Harmey.
Though no stranger to Group 1 races, Harmey has never won one. He boasts two third placings in Bathurst Gold Finals and other career highlights include winning the 2020 Golden Guitar and racing in the South Australia Cup and in Queensland features against 4 time Inter Dominion champion BLACKS A FAKE.