Trainer Hayden Reeves starts new Albany Harness Racing Club season with winning double

Hayden Reeves began the new Albany Harness Racing Club season in winning fashion after Bountiful Reactor and Krafty saluted at Friday night’s opening meeting.

Reeves was a thrilling winner of the last season’s top trainer award, downing Barry Howlett by a single point.

His title defence got off to a strong start, recording two winners from his 18 runners at the first meeting of the new season at Harold Reid Paceway.

Bountiful Reactor was a thrilling winner of The Whippy Man Van 4YO+ Pace (1832m) after holding out the fast-finishing Adda Tarantella by a short half-head.

Having his first start since September 3, Bountiful Reactor sped to the lead for driver Trent Wheeler and controlled proceedings before digging deep late to take the win.

Reeves made it a winning double later in the program when three-year-old Krafty produced a strong performance in the G&M Detergents Pace (1832m).

With a win at Wagin and minor placings at Collie and Narrogin at his three most recent starts, Krafty jumped a $2.75 favourite from the second row and sat midfield on the first lap before reinsman Dean Miller improved his position.

Miller had Krafty three-wide on the final turn and they powered over the top of leader Swanbourne Spunk and Howlett’s Tux And Tails to win by 1.1m on the line.

Wheeler finished with two winners in the sulky after he drove Move Over Miss to a thrilling half-neck victory in the final race on the card for Albany trainer Adrian Shanks.

Shes A Harleequinn claimed race two and Our Surrogate was a dominant winner of race three to hand driver Mitchell Miller a race-to-race double.

Hopeland trainer Kevin Charles took out the first race of the 2021-22 season with Lets Rock Tonight ($5 chance) who defeated Howlett’s $2.65 favourite Oh So Grand by 3.8m.

Local trainer Cheyenne King-Davies was successful in the Community TAB Pace (2265m) with Nullabor Navajo, a $19 outsider driven smartly by Hayden Hancock to win by a half-neck.

Tempt Me Once More (race six) and Ideal Secret (race eight) were the other winners on the nine-race card.