Capital Cullect and Night Lights place at Tamworth Paceway

Seven Narrabri-trained pacers raced at a Tamworth Harness Racing meeting on Sunday evening.

None of those seven were victorious at the Tamworth Paceway, however two managed to secure top-three finishes in their respective races.

The two were the Shepherdson-trained Capital Cullect in race one and the Hetherington-trained Night Lights in race seven.

The first race of the meeting was the 1609-metre TAB Odds and Evens Pace (NR up to 65) in which the Peter Shepherdson-trained, Chris Shepherdson-driven Capital Cullect started from the second line behind pole position.

The six-year-old brown mare was a $21 outsider but managed to race to third place as she crossed the line less than five metres behind the race’s winner which was the $2.60 favourite Loanshark which was driven by Tom Ison for Roy Roots Junior.

The Anthony Missen-trained, Blake Hughes-driven Believe In Heaven placed second.

Capital Cullect, which is owned by Narrabri’s Nathan and Charles Dicks and Chris Shepherdson, earned $480 for the third-placed finish which took her lifetime earnings to $33,345.

In 61 starts she has won five times, finished second six times and placed third 11 times.

This season has been arguably her best yet as she has delivered four of those wins to go with three second-placed finishes and five third-placed finishes.

The seventh race of Sunday’s meeting was the 1609-metre Renew Your Club Membership Pace (NR up to 47).

In that race New Zealand bred pacer Night Lights raced for the seventh time on Australian soil for trainer Jarred Hetherington.

For the sixth time the five-year-old bay mare raced to a top two finish.

She started the race from the number 10 barrier on the second row driven by Mick Formosa who has been in the sulky for Night Lights on all seven occasions in her Australian career.

The pair achieved a second-placed finish for the second consecutive race.

Night Lights ran past the finish post seven-and-a-half metres behind the Les Enks-trained, Anthony Varga-driven Groovy Shannon which started the race as the $1.70 favourite.

Capital Cullect and Night Lights are both in contention in the Tamworth Harness Racing Club’s Mare of the Year race.

Following Sunday’s meeting Capital Cullect is in second place on 17 points, just one behind the leader Fantasy Money, while Night Lights is equal third on 16 points alongside Queens Angel.

This season finishes on Sunday, August 30.

The other five local pacers which ran on Sunday were the Garry Shepherdson-trained, Chris Shepherdson-driven Future Fun (seventh in race two), the Hetherington-trained, Formosa-driven Bettor Getta Lover (ninth in race two), the Hetherington-trained, Formosa-driven Broken Ark (fourth in race three), the Garry Shepherdson-trained, Chris Shepherdson-driven Sumthin Special (ninth in race four) and the Garry Shepherdson-trained, Chris Shepherdson-driven Tralee Chic (seventh in race seven).

The Tamworth Harness Racing Club will host another meeting on Thursday at which 10 Narrabri-trained pacers are scheduled to race including both Capital Cullect and Night Lights.