That’s a big statement given the superstar pacer had won 24 races previously, but Moran would get no arguments after Lochinvar Art spreadeagled his rivals in an awesome display of power pacing.
Holding the lead from barrier one in the $130,000 feature, Lochinvar Art left his rivals in his wake when Moran released the brakes on the home turn.
In a twinkling Lochinvar Art had made his rivals look second rate as he audaciously pulled away to beat the runner-up Fourbigmen by a whopping 30.5m with another Shepparton-trained pacer, Western Sonador, finishing best of the beaten brigade, getting up with a powerful finishing surge to finish third for reinswoman Bec Bartley and her co-trainer Steve O’Donoghue.
In expanding on his “best run ever” statement Moran said it was the “best he has ever felt” in his 25 wins which have taken his prizemoney earnings to within $14,000 of $1 million.
‘‘He just felt so good all the way, he was unreal,’’ Moran said.
With the Shepparton and Ballarat cups, the Hunter Cup and the Newcastle Mile and Miracle Mile on the immediate radar for Lochinvar Art it looks just a matter of time before he becomes the first Shepparton-trained millionaire pacer.
● At the mega Melton meeting Acardia horseman Patrick Ryan and Kyabram mentor Mick Blackmore produced second placegetters.
The Ryan-prepared Cracker Jet finished runner-up in the three-year-old trotters colts and geldings final, while Blackmore had one of the hard luck stories of the meeting to tell after Senitas Strength stormed home from near last to finish a close second in the two-year-old fillies trotters final.
Avenel horsewoman Juanita Breen was also luckless with Golden Sunset, who finished fourth in the three-year-old trotters fillies final.
Shepparton trainer Isabel Walsh also produced Vintage Blu for a fourth-placed finish in the two-year-old colts and geldings pacers final, while a group of Kyabram owners are in the syndicate which races Always Ready, the winner of the four-year-old entires and geldings trotters final.
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