The 2026-27 Harness Pony Racing season got off to an electric and fiercely contested start at the National Equestrian Centre on Vesey Street, with race officials called into action right from the opening card.
A bustling evening on the track delivered immediate drama in the 1:07.0 to 1:09.0 Time Bar Class, where Mitch Robinson and Candyce Martins found themselves locked in a captivating, heat-by-heat rivalry that required two close judicial reviews.
In Heat Two, Robinson steered Kool the Fire across the line to take first place in 1:18.4, with Martins and Victoria’s Secret finishing second on the exact same clocking.
Martins turned the tables when the pair met again in Heat Nine. Behind Victoria’s Secret, she claimed victory in 1:14.4, holding off a charging Robinson and Kool the Fire, who had to settle for second while matching the winner's time.
The blue-riband action of the night belonged to the 1:04.0 and Faster Time Bar Class, featuring the evening's quickest trip in Heat One. Kirista Rabain piloted Red October to a standout win in 1:05.3, narrowly fending off Martins in the bike of Smart Machine (1:05.4), while Maurice Raynor steered Rockeyed Optimist home for third in 1:06.2.
Martins struck back in Heat Eight, guiding Smart Machine to top spot in 1:08.1. Raynor and Rockeyed Optimist were declared runners-up in 1:08.2, edging out Rabain and Red October, who completed the frame with the identical time of 1:08.2.
The competitive evening concluded with Heat 12 of the 1:04.0 and Faster division, where Tahzii Flood delivered a composed drive behind Double Time to take the chequered flag in 1:07.3.
Behind the winner, Rabain guided Gold Rush to second place in 1:08.0 flat, dead-heating on time with Teshi Zuill and SomeGoldSomeWhere, who took third.
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