Scoring Up

Tasmanian breeding took centre stage at Launceston on Saturday night when locally bred Okanui Beach produced a stunning finishing burst to capture the $100,000 Beautide, further cementing his reputation as one of the state’s brightest pacing stars.

The victory was another major success for prominent Tasmanian breeder Michael Maxfield, whose breeding program continues to produce horses capable of competing at the highest level. Okanui Beach, a son of Downbytheseaside from the unraced Sportwriter mare Sporty Max, has now added one of Tasmania’s richest harness features to an already impressive resume.

The gelding’s journey to stardom began at the 2023 Melbourne Nutrien Yearling Sale, where Maxfield offered him for sale. Despite his outstanding pedigree, which includes close ties to champion pacer Lazarus, Okanui Beach changed hands for just $20,000, purchased by a client of Victorian horseman Craig Turnbull—a decision that has proven to be an outstanding investment.

Turnbull revealed after the race that the selection process was remarkably straightforward.

“My owner, Doug Johnston, gave me a list of three or four horses to inspect,” Turnbull told TasRacing.

“I went to the farm and he just took my eye. He was so cruisy and had the temperament we were looking for.”

That laid-back attitude has translated into a racehorse with exceptional ability.

As a two-year-old, Okanui Beach announced himself by winning the Tasbred Dandy Patch, before measuring up against elite company with runner-up finishes behind Hungry Hippo in both the Globe Derby Stakes and the Raider Stakes.

On Saturday night, he again showed his class.

Driven with confidence by Abbey Turnbull, daughter of trainer Craig Turnbull, Okanui Beach charged home over the concluding stages to defeat Carmen Emjay and the ever-consistent Hungry Hippo, stopping the clock in a smart 1:58.5 mile rate over the 2200 metres.

The victory continued a memorable family story, with father and daughter combining to claim one of Tasmania’s premier harness events.

Attention now turns to Victoria, where Okanui Beach is expected to contest the prestigious Vicbred Series before a possible return to his home state in December. A likely target is the December 19 meeting in Hobart, which will feature a new $40,000 race for three and four-year-olds over 2090 metres.

Saturday’s meeting was also a celebration of one of Tasmania’s greatest modern-day champions. The Launceston Pacing Club deserves enormous credit for elevating the Beautide to a $100,000 feature by contributing an additional $20,000 in prizemoney, ensuring the race named in honour of the champion pacer continues to grow in stature.

The club’s build-up to the meeting was equally impressive, with Friday night’s Calcutta attracting a strong crowd and featuring SEN’s Gareth Hall alongside Australia’s leading harness racing journalist Adam Hamilton, creating plenty of excitement ahead of the feature.

Unfortunately, the evening ended on a disappointing note when an electrical fault with the track lighting forced the abandonment of the final two races on the program.

Despite that unfortunate conclusion, the night will long be remembered for Okanui Beach’s outstanding victory—a performance that highlighted the strength of Tasmanian breeding and provided a fitting tribute to the great Beautide.