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Sulky Shorts with Gus Underwood

By Gus Underwood

Nov 18, 2021

Star of the show: Always Be Chloe with owners Stewart and Pam McDonald, reinsman Cody Crossland and trainer Dave Farrar after the filly’s win at Leeton on Tuesday night.

Goulburn Valley trainers are seeking a big pay day in lucrative Breeders Crown finals at Melton tomorrow night but their chances have not been helped by challenging barrier draws.

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Shepparton trainer Russell Jack holds the sole hopes of a district triumph in one of the $300,000 finals for two-year-old pacers with Just Hope.

Just Hope, who contests the fillies’ final, went down by only 7m in her semi-final last Saturday night from a back-row draw.

But tomorrow night the daughter of Bettors Delight has to contend with an outside front-row draw and a staggering eight runners from the all-conquering Emma Stewart stable so will need to cause a massive boilover.

No district pacers have made the $300,000 colts and geldings final for pacers, but Jack is also represented in the $100,000 colts and geldings final for two-year-old trotters with Lettucetrot who will be driven by Leigh Sutton.

Lettucetrot finished second in his heat to Keayang Chucky but has drawn the second row and will give away vital experience to most of his rivals as it will be just his fourth race start.

The Steve O’Donoghue-Bec Bartley team is also represented in this final by Jessies Son, a creditable third in his heat to the all-conquering Plymouth Chubb.

But again no luck when the barrier marbles came out with barrier 10.

Bartley will also have a shot at glory on the NSW-trained Ardens Ace in the colts and geldings final for three-year-old trotters, and on the John Yeomans-prepared Itsebonyivory in the $50,000 mares’ championship in which she has drawn barrier four.

There is strong district representation in the $200,000 colts and geldings final for three-year-old pacers.

Laura Crossland has Dessie Gee coming from an inside second-row draw and David Aiken is represented by Narutac Prince who has drawn next to Dessie Gee.

Crossland’s partner Damian Wilson drives the Emma Stewart-trained semi-final winner Major Moth in the same race but he also has to contend with a second-row draw.

Euroa horseman David Jack looks to have a key player in the $80,000 colts and geldings final for three-year-old trotters with the lightly raced and exciting Marengo Bay, a gallant fourth in his heat to recent Victoria Trotters Derby winner Kyvalley Hotspur, beaten less than 6m after doing plenty of work in the run. The son of Im Stately has to take on more seasoned runners and also has a second-row draw but still looks a genuine each way chance in a hot field.

In the $80,000 fillies final for three-year-old trotters the Dennis Paton-owned Sheza Pleasure looks to be a major player after a dashing heat win for NSW trainer KerryAnn Morris. But Sheza Pleasure too has come up with a second-row draw against some classy rivals, which is going to make her task that bit harder.

Shepparton trainer-driver David Moran has prospects of finishing in the major money with the Emma Stewart-prepared Honolua Bay in the $50,000 four-year-old entries and geldings final for pacers, which is also to be contested by the Russell Jack-trained Santa Casa Beach, the Craig Turnbull-prepared Jemsoms Pet and Major Bob for David Aiken.

Moran has elected to drive Ladies In Red/Beach Music in the three-year-old fillies’ final for pacers.

More Breeders Crown Graduate events at tonight’s Melton meeting also feature many district-trained trotters and pacers.

One of the interesting runners is San Carlo who is contesting the $60,000 Graduate Pacers Free For All.

The Steve O’Donoghue-Bec Bartley veteran returned to racing after 13 months on the sidelines for a solid second placing at Kilmore last week, which was a heartening sign. He hasn’t been favoured, with a back-row draw and a field of talented rivals which include other district hopes in Sirlectic, Perfect Stride and Malcolms Image.

Satisfying victory

Kyabram’s Mark Watson described it as the most satisfying win of his training career.

He was referring to the win of Brallos Pass at Mildura last Friday night when the veteran pacer made a return to racing after an 18-month break.

Brallos Pass upstaged a smart field including Bernie Winkle, who was attempting an incredible 35 wins on the Mildura track.

Reinsman Jack Laugher gave Brallos Pass the run of the race on the back of the pacemaker and favourite Diamonds N Cash and he finished too strongly for his rivals when he got into clear running in the home straight.

Watson paid tribute to Merrigum trainer Brett Bunfield and his water walker which he said had played a big part in the pacer’s successful comeback after such a lengthy spell.

‘‘I had him entered for Wagga but the race fell through so I saw there was a suitable race at Mildura so we headed there,’’ Watson said.

‘‘I was just hoping he would be competitive but I wasn’t expecting too much of him after such a long time off,’’ Watson said, who also said his challenge now with Brallos Pass was finding suitable races for him.

Brallos Pass had not won in his previous 17 starts, with the Ouyen Pacing Cup triumph in March of 2019 the last time he had saluted before last week’s win.

A NSW Derby heat winner, Brallos Pass has always been a talented pacer who took his career record to 19 wins and 31 placings and more than $315,000 in prize money earnings with his latest success.

Brallos Pass’ win completed a big week for Watson.

On the Monday he produced Prosecco Boy to complete the heat-final double when he won at the Cobram meeting.

Chloe helps Cody to firsts

Concession reinsman Cody Crossland created a couple of firsts when he partnered the Shepparton-trained filly Always Be Chloe to win at Tuesday night’s Leeton meeting.

It was Crossland’s first winning drive in NSW and his first win on a two-year-old.

Trained by Shepparton horseman Dave Farrar, Always Be Chloe utilised her barrier one draw and led throughout over the 1758m trip with a slick 27.3 last quarter putting paid to her rivals.

By the Always A Virgin stallion Always Be Miki USA, Always Be Chloe was overdue to score her maiden win with five minor placings in 12 previous starts.

Farrar stable stalwarts Stewart and Pam McDonald own Always Be Chloe and also the old warrior Hayjoshandco who ran third at the same meeting.

Always Be Chloe’s win was also a good tonic for Pam who has been battling breast cancer.

Farrar said it was very satisfying to attend a meeting with patrons after the easing of COVID-19 restrictions.

‘‘There was a nice crowd there and a really good atmosphere,’’ Farrar, who is also predicting a bright career in the sulky for Cody Crossland, said.

Wahring trainer Rosie Weidenbach enjoyed two wins within three days last week.

Rosie won at Friday’s Shepparton meeting with Well Well and then scored with Goodlookin Rooster at the Cranbourne meeting on Sunday.

Five-year-old pacer Well Well bounced back into the winner’s circle with a strong win.

Driven by Rosie’s son Kevin, the Well Said gelding used plenty of petrol early trying to lead his rivals before eventually taking the front-running position. His rivals had the chance to run him down in the home straight but he warded off all challengers, beating the Glenn Freeman-trained outsider Flamin Steel with the Mick Mahon-prepared Lagom finishing third in a tough performance.

Well Well has shown a liking to the Shepparton track in his 78-race career with six of nine career wins achieved in the circuit.

Goodlookin Rooster ran fourth at the Shepparton meeting but atoned at Cranbourne with a comfortable win.

Driven by Abbey Turnbull, Goodlookin Rooster stalked the favourite and pacemaker Tyabb Wonder over the final 1000m and finished over that pacer.

A seven-year-old son of Christian Cullen, Goodlookin Rooster was having his 97th race start which have produced 10 wins and 26 minor placings and prize money earnings of more than $64,000.

Abbey wasn’t the only Goulburn Valley driver to savour success at the meeting.

Concession reinsman Cody Crossland won with a patient last-to-first drive on the Brent Lilley-trained Cheddar Valley, and Bec Bartley saluted on the Emma Stewart-prepared Ample Power.

Chance pays off

The Last Chance may be taking his name literally.

He has a habit of bobbing up now and again and he did it again at the Shepparton meeting.

The Shaun Kittel-trained six-year-old Mr Feelgood gelding was given every chance by reinsman Michael Bellman, who made his winning move three wide with 600m to run and then held off the Steve Boyington-trained-and-driven Castle Retreat with the pacemaker Ayjay Breezy Rose filling the minor placings after her recent successful Queensland stint.

It was The Last Chance’s 10th career win from 52 starts which have also produced 14 runner-up finishes and five thirds for prize money earnings now topping $74,000.

Two on the trot

Talented pacer Cool Rocking Daddy completed back-to-back wins in a nail-biting finish at the Shepparton meeting.

The Laura Crossland-trained-and-driven four-year-old had a stirring duel up the home straight with the favourite Villacci, prevailing by a half-head with Brevity a close-up third.

Cool Rocking Daddy was coming off a last-start win at Bendigo on October 26 and has now won five races this season with a career haul of 10 wins and 17 placings from 47 starts.

His latest win has taken his prize money earnings over $75,000 and you would think there is more to come.

Montgomery back on track

Avenel horseman Ian Montgomery broke a run of 10 starts out of the winner’s circle with Kissmelvis at the Shepparton meeting.

Driven by concession driver Shannon O’Sullivan, the Rocknroll Hanover seven-year-old finished strongly wide out to swamp his rivals in the concluding stages of the 2190m event to beat Apieceolou and Sport Mental.

It was Kissmelvis’s eighth career win with 15 minor placings from 56 career starts, so he has been a consistent money earner for connections.

Watt clocks one more

Tongala trainer Michael Watt’s recent run of success continued at last week’s Kilmore meeting.

And the win of the Watt-trained trotting mare Roshambo provided his sire Im Stately with his third winner for the week.

Roshambo came from back in the field at the bell to round up her rivals for her first win in 16 starts.

But with top five placings, including three seconds and a third at her previous seven starts, the four-year-old mare was overdue for her maiden win.

Former star juvenile trotter Im Stately had produced winners earlier in the week with the Brent Thomson-prepared Ima Destroyer scoring at Maryborough and the promising David Jack-trained-and-driven Marengo Bay the following day at the Cobram meeting.