HORSE OF THE YEAR: Narrabri pacer Kid Montana wins Tamworth Harness Racing Club’s big prize

First it was the Wee Waa Cup, then it was the Narrabri Cup, and now it is the dual titles of Tamworth Harness Racing Club horse of the year and local horse of the year.

The 2018-19 harness racing season has been a major success for Narrabri-trained-and-owned pacer Kid Montana.

Last Thursday night the four-year-old gelding raced for the last time this season when he went for a third straight victory at the Tamworth Paceway.

Reinsman Scotty-Jon Welsh drove Kid Montana for just the second time in his career in the third race of the evening.

Just as they did in their first race together which saw them win the Wee Waa Cup for owners Nathan and Charles Dicks, Peter, Chris and Garry Shepherdson and Neil Drysdale, Welsh and Kid Montana raced to victory on Thursday night.

Kid Montana finished the 1980-metre race two metres ahead of the Mick Formosa-trained-and-driven mare Doubldelightbrigade which was the $1.90 favourite.

That not only completed Kid Montana’s season on a high, but did so for Welsh as well.

The young reinsman won the 2018-19 Tamworth Harness Racing Club’s under-23 drivers’ premiership with five wins.

He was in the driver’s seat three more times on Thursday evening and placed in all three races.

But for Narrabri harness racing fans it was all about the third race of the evening, the Sky Racing Active Pace.

Kid Montana drew the nine barrier in that race which saw him start two wide in the second row.

Another Narrabri-trained pacer was in action in that race which was Padrisimo, driven by Brad Elder for local trainer Jarred Hetherington.

Doubldelightbrigade started the race one in from pole position and established an early lead.

At the home bend on the first occasion with little over a mile to go Kid Montana sat seventh in the nine-horse race while Padrismio was one back in eighth.

By the time they entered the back straight Kid Montana had charged into fifth position and Padrisimo was still eighth.

When the pack ran past the finish post as the bell sounded for the final lap Kid Montana was travelling nicely in the running line before he took off three wide and charged out to second with about 550 metres to run.

He had Parisimo on his back in that three-wide line which had also made a move.

In the final turn Kid Montana was running side-by-side with Doubldelightbrigade which had led for the entire race.

The pair entered the home straight still side-by-side but Kid Montana finished stronger to win the race and claim the $3120 top prize.

It was a fitting finish to the season for the Tamworth Harness Racing Club’s horse of the year and local horse of the year after he won his previous two starts at the same venue over the same distance, edging out the Hetherington-trained Padrisimo in a Narrabri quinella on both occasions.

Kid Montana’s victory saw him finish the club’s premiership race on 31 points following six wins, as many second-placed finishes and a trio of third-placed finishes.

The Narrabri pacer showed promise on March 11, 2018, when he was a first-start winner at Armidale.

On that day he began the race from pole position paying $14 and sped away to a 32-metre win across the 1980-metre distance.

Since then Kid Montana has been a blessing for his local owners, one of which is his official trainer.

That is Narrabri Harness Racing Club president Peter Shepherdson who told The Courier that he was overwhelmed with the pacer’s success.

“I’ve been doing this for 40-odd years and he’s the best horse that I’ve owned,” Shepherdson said.

“I go back and watch his races and I still get goosebumps even knowing the result.

“He’s won so many races so easily and it just gives you an amazing feeling, it’s incredible.”

Shepherdson said that all of Kid Montana’s owners picthed in to give Kid Montana a chance of success, but said that Chris Shepherdson and Neil Drysdale deserved extra praise.

Kid Montana raced 33 times in the 2018-19 season, winning eight times and placing second or third six and four times respectively.

In 47 total career starts he boats a 32 per cent win rate with 15 wins.

Meanwhile, there were five more locally-trained pacers in action at the Tamworth Harness Racing Club meeting last Thursday.

One of those was a winner as the Hetherington-trained Overthemoon claimed a 27-metre victory in the sixth race of the evening.

Overthemoon started three in from pole position and showed exactly why he was the $3.30 favourite with a convincing victory which was his third of the season.

Also running that race was the Hetherinton-trained Point OH Five which Tom Ison drove to a sixth-placed finish.

Earlier in the evening the Garry Shepherdson-trained Future Fun placed third in the first race of the evening.

Driven by Chris Shepherdson, Future Fun started two in from pole position and finished 14-and-a-half metres behind the race’s winner Scotlynn Jiggs, driven by Madi Young for Stacey Elliot.

In the second race of the meeting two Hetherinton-trained pacers took part as Ison drove Vinnie The Poet and Elder was in the driver’s seat for Mickee Cullen.

Vinnie The Poet placed third just five metres behind the Mark Callaghan-trained-and-driven winner Bite The Bullet, while Mickee Cullen came in sixth.