Trainer-driver Hayden Reeves starts new Albany Harness Racing Club season in red-hot form

Trainer-driver Hayden Reeves began the new Albany Harness Racing Club season in terrific fashion, scoring a winning treble on Friday night.

Albany will run 10 meetings this season at Harold Reid Paceway, headlined by the running of the Albany Cup on Saturday, January 21.

The Christmas Cup (Saturday, December 23) and Denmark Cup (Friday, February 24) will be other feature nights on the calendar.

The AHRC has seven of their 10 meetings on a Friday night and has three Saturday night meetings in January while the season will conclude on February 24.

Reeves made a statement at the season opening event with three winners and three minor placings on the eight-race program.

He started the night in brilliant fashion, winning the first two races with Alta Montel and Last Mini Minor and then capped his treble when Tubbs Farquhar was successful.

Alta Montel ($8.50 chance) sped to the lead from gate two on the front line with Reeves in the sulky and they had to withstand a strong finish from Galeocerdo Cuvier in the concluding stages.

The Reeves-trained three-year-old had enough to hold on and prevail by 1.1m, notching his first career win at start number 21.

Reeves was the reinsman on Last Mini Minor in the Community TAB 4YO+ Westbred Pace (1832m) who was caught wide early before working his way the lead by the bell lap.

The six-year-old gelding was too strong on the final lap and saluted at odds of $13, beating Knockem Down Rosie ($2.60 favourite) by 6.1m on the line.

It was another big priced winner for Reeves later in the night when Tubbs Farquhar won a thrilling finish to the Advertiser Print Pace (2648m).

The seven-year-old gelding jumped a $23 chance from the front line and was three wide for much of the trip before storming home in the concluding stages to upstage $2.20 favourite Fleur Du Maquis by a half-neck.

Reeves also had third placings with Love To Fly (race three), Jades Fortune (race four) and Ark Of Rock (race seven).

Albany trainer Adrian Shanks had success at the opening meeting with Step It Up producing a strong performance in the South Coast Security Pace (2265m).

After starting on the second row, the four-year-old mare was allowed time to settle by reinswoman Madeliene Young and sprinted strongly in the home straight on the final occasion to win by a head.

Drivers Emily Johnson and Hayden Hancock both finished the meeting with winning doubles.

Hancock was successful with Art Revival in race three for trainer Tracey Reed and then powered The Real Mikoy to victory in the final race.

Raging $1.22 favourite Euphoric Moment won race five over 2265m for Johnson and trainer Errol Ashcroft and then Johnson was in the sulky when Second Amendment claimed race seven by 2.4m.

Albany’s next meeting is Friday, December 23.