If Shepparton reinsman Nathan Jack was looking for a quiet 40th birthday last Friday he did not get his wish.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
Wagga’s Riverina Harness Racing Club named a race after him to mark the milestone at its meeting last Friday, although he didn’t have a drive in the race.
But he still came away from the meeting with a nice birthday present, guiding a pacer his father, Russell, trains, Sanchez, to a popular win as an odds-on favourite.
The three-year-old gelding by Captaintreacherous settled on the back of the pacemaker Catchafire and ran that pacer down via the sprint lane in the dash to the line.
The win was Sanchez’s third from 16 starts, which have also included a frustrating seven runner-up finishes and one third placing.
Gem of a drive
Nathan Jack was also among four Goulburn Valley reinsmen who won the opening four races and five races overall at last Saturday night’s Melton meeting.
He partnered the star three-year-old trotting filly Gatesys Gem to victory in the Hall of Fame Legends Trot.
Having her first start since winning the NSW Oaks-Derby double in May, the daughter of Aldebaran Eagle swamped her rivals with a barnstorming finish for trainer Glenn Hunter.
Gatesys Gem rated 1.57.4 for the 2240m trip in accounting for Valtino and Keayang Gucci.
She now boasts a career record of nine wins and three seconds.
Stanhope horseman Mark Pitt book-ended the meeting, reining Silver Pistol to victory in the first race and Moonlight Moth in the last event for top trainer Emma Stewart.
Murchison reinsman Ryan Sanderson was also part of another Stewart-dominated meeting, guiding Kiss to victory in the Hall Of Fame Inductees Pace for the wizard mentor.
Star on the rise
Pacer Hitch To His Star completed successive wins with a powerful finishing surge at last Friday’s Wagga meeting.
The three-year-old son of Follow The Star was driven by NSW horseman Brad Hewitt for Tatura trainer Craig Turnbull and returned a PB 1.55.5 mile rate for the 1740m trip, which included a 56.5 last half.
Hitch To His Star had won on the track at his previous start on September 26 and has now won three of his eight career starts with two seconds.
He is out of the Modern Art mare Modern Hitch and is the only foal to race from this mare.
Keen trots follower Lisa Poole is a part owner of the pacer, which she races in ownership with the pacer’s breeder and her partner, Keith Maybanks.
Pitts in form
The Pitts — trainer Lisa and reinsman hubby Mark — had a couple of fruitful days last weekend.
After Mark’s driving double at the Melton meeting he steered trotter Keayang Brandy to a runaway victory on Sunday at Cranbourne for his wife.
The four-year-old Aldebaran Eagle mare spaced her rivals by nearly 18 metres in a dashing display in which she posted a PB 1.59.5 mile rate in notching her 14th win in 36 starts.
She is out of the Bacardi Lindy mare Im Princess Sophie, a 14-times winner from 36 starts in South Australia.
Lisa has really hit it off with Keayang Brandy, who has had only the five starts for her for three wins and two seconds.
The Pitts struck again at Tuesday night’s Shepparton meeting with first starter My Ideal Dream, beautifully bred by American Ideal out of the 29-times winning Dream Away mare My Double Dream.
My Ideal Dream had showed up in trials in the Riverina before her debut where she enjoyed the run of the race on the back of the pacemaker and secured an inside run turning for home and drew away from her rivals in the run in the judge.
She returned an impressive 1.56.4 mile rate for the 1690m to suggest it won’t be her last win.
Jack springs a surprise
In a productive weekend, Shepparton trainer Russell Jack followed up his win with Sanchez at Friday’s Wagga meeting with another winner at Melton the following night.
Jack produced Im Confidential to cause an upset in the Victoria Sires Three Year Old Classic with Leigh Sutton in the sulky.
Jack’s other runner in the race, Jacks Ultimate Fury, who was driven by Nathan Jack, started a $1.80 favourite after drawing the pole but after setting the pace tired in the concluding stages to finish fourth.
Russell Jack wasn’t surprised at Im Confidential’s win but was by his starting price of $19.
‘‘There is nothing between them (Jacks Ultimate Fury and Im Confidential) when they work together so it was a bit surprising the price he was compared to Jacks Ultimate Fury ($1.80),’’ Jack said.
Capable reinsman Sutton has returned from NSW to work at the Jack stables and it was his first metropolitan winner since his return.
Both Jacks Ultimate Fury and I’m Confidential will contest heats of the Victorian Derby at Melton on Saturday night.
Girl breaks drought
Eight-year-old Shepparton-trained mare Changeover Girl broke a run of 37 races out of the winners’ circle when she saluted at Shepparton’s Tuesday night meeting.
She had not won a race since saluting at Wagga in May of last year.
There was money around to say she was ready to win again and the confidence was rewarded when she finished strongly after enjoying the one-one sit for the majority of the 1690m event.
It was Changeover Girl’s ninth career win from 107 tries with a further 25 top-three placings for her Shepparton trainer-driver Bec Bartley.
Four of her wins have been on the Shepparton track.
Hip hip Hoorah
Kyabram trots trainer Mick Blackmore reckons he has got his stable star pacer Hoorah Philtra in the right head space at present.
The four-year-old Betterthancheddar gelding hoisted his seventh career win with a last-to-first performance at Shepparton on Tuesday night.
Regular reinsman James Herbertson was in the sulky as Hoorah Philtra pipped the Shane Sanderson-trained and Ryan Sanderson-driven Norms Lady in 1.57.4 mile rate time.
Blackmore said Hoorah Philtra was a contented horse at the moment and enjoying his racing.
‘‘We will probably look now to getting a concession claim for his next start,’’ Blackmore said.
Blackmore also produced Hoorah Philtra’s two-year-old stablemate Dusty Philtra for a second place finish at the Melton meeting the previous Friday night.
Honour for Caldow
Former Echucaite John Caldow has been inducted into the Victorian Harness Racing Hall of Fame.
He received the honour at an HRV function at Melton last weekend.
Caldow cut his teeth in the harness racing game when his late trainer father, Jack, and star reinsman brother, the late Peter Caldow, were based in Echuca.
Caldow has driven 4072 career winners, including 23 Group 1 winners, in his time in the sulky and has been a great ambassador for the industry.
Big night at Melton
Huge night at Melton tomorrow night with heats of the Victoria Derby and Oaks and the appearance of the mighty Queensland pacer Leap To Fame in the $30,000 Smoken Up Sprint.
Meetings coming up:
Friday: Melton (n)
Saturday: Melton (n)
Sunday: Cranbourne (n)
Monday: Maryborough (d)
Tuesday: Shepparton (n)
Wednesday: Bendigo (n)
Thursday: Ballarat (n)
Friday: Melton (n)
Saturday: Melton (n)