Lochinvar Art isn’t the only Shepparton-trained pacer contesting Friday night's Newcastle Mile at Newcastle.
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Rising star Western Sonador is also tackling the $100,000 feature and already has had luck on his side, drawing barrier one for joint trainers Steve O’Donoghue and Bec Bartley.
In contrast, the hot favourite Lochinvar Art has drawn barrier 10, the extreme outside gate.
But with two emergencies he will come into gate eight for the 1609m trip.
Bartley, who will drive Western Sonador, is confident the five-year-old can be competitive.
‘‘Obviously Lochinvar Art is the one to beat, but I think we can be competitive,” Bartley said.
‘‘It’s a nice field, but his (Western Sonador) last run in top company was really good.’’
In that last run Western Sonador was second to Max Delight in the Pure Steel feature at Melton on February 6.
Heats of the Miracle Mile next weekend at Menangle are also on Western Sonador’s radar.
David Moran has warned punters Lochinvar Art’s task of winning is now a lot more difficult because of his draw.
But he is still a short-priced favourite and some pundits believe the track record of 1:50.7 set by Majordan in winning last year’s race is in danger of being lowered by Lochinvar Art, who has a 1:48.6 mile rate for 1720m around Melton in his resume.
Moran is not concerned his versatile pacer is coming back to a 1609m race after running his rivals ragged in the Hunter Cup over the marathon 2769m trip at his last start on February 6.
He points out his superstar pacer won the Chariots Of Fire over 1609m and was second in a Miracle Mile last year.
The Newcastle Mile is a race littered with winners with household names such as dual victors Courage Under Fire and Westburn Grant and Inter Dominion conquerors Our Sir Vancelot, Jofess and Beautide.
Queenslander Turn It Up, who has the early acceleration to lead, looks Lochinvar Art’s main danger, but Western Sonador certainly has genuine each-way claims from his ideal draw.
Moran will have a busy weekend as he will also be partnering the Emma Stewart-trained Beach Music in a heat of the NSW Oaks and Rockasaki in the $50,000 Robin Dundee feature for mares at Menangle tomorrow night.
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Shepparton-trained pacers claimed the two feature events at the Albury Cup meeting last Friday night.
Trainer Amanda Turnbull and Shepparton reinsman Leigh Sutton landed the $17,850 Albury Pacers Cup with Sonny Weaver, while Laura Crossland produced Cheyella to win the $14,790 Ian Bruce Memorial String Of Pearls.
In the Albury Cup Sutton stalked the leader, the David Aiken-trained and Josh Aiken-driven Major Delico for most of the 2555m trip with Sonny Weaver getting up to beat the Ellen Bartley-trained Nowhere Creek and Major Delico in a tight finish.
An entire by Sunshine Beach, Sonny Weaver has now won seven races with 11 minor places, including seven seconds, from 29 starts which have produced more than $70,000 in prizemoney.
Crossland produced the lightly-raced Cheyella to win the String Of Pearls, a time-honoured race for three-year-old fillies, to notch her maiden win.
Having only her seventh start, Cheyella was sent to the front early by reinsman Damien Wilson and cruised to an easy win over roughies Left In The Wind and Emrites.
With solid seconds at her two previous starts at Shepparton the daughter of Heston Blue Chip vindicated her $1.30 starting price in her effortless win which barring bad luck won’t be her last.
The Crossland-Wilson team combined for a double at the meeting, also saluting with Rockinfeelgood.
A six-year-old mare by Mr Feelgood, Rockinfeelgood was also sent straight to the front by Wilson and in a nail-biting climax held out the Turnbull-trained and Sutton-driven Young Rooster, an odds-on favourite, to win by a half-head.
It was Rockinfeelgood’s 11th win, seven of which have been achieved since Crossland took over the training of the mare who had four wins when trained in NSW.
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Avenel trainer Wayne Potter had a good week last week highlighted by Boy From Bondi retaining his unbeaten tag since joining his stable.
Not only did Boy From Bondi salute last Saturday night at Melton, but produced a PB 1:55.1 mile rate in achieving his ninth win.
The seven-year-old Somebeachsomewhere gelding was urged to the front early by reinsman Josh Duggan who then controlled the tempo of the race.
Boy From Bondi shrugged off all rivals and had more than 11m to spare at the finishing line over the runner-up in a dashing performance.
Potter has previously produced Boy From Bondi for wins at Kilmore, Bendigo and Shepparton.
Two nights earlier Potter scored with consistent pacer Smiling who greeted the judge at Shepparton.
The four-year-old Grinfromeartoear mare had the one previous win at Wagga before joining Potter where she had five top-five finishes in eight starts before her Shepparton win.
Driven by Duggan Smiling led her rivals a merry dance with a bold front-running display and was never going to lose.
Wandanas Advice ran home well to finish second for Kyabram trainer-driver Peter Fidge, while the Wayne Hayes-trained and driven Cassiopeia clocked home third.
Smiling is a daughter of the good Bernie Kelly-trained race mare Lorna Kelly, a winner of 12 races who has left six winners, including Lighting Colony who won 13 races.
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Veteran Elmore-trained mare Calaquendi showed she still has plenty of zip in her step with a barnstorming win at Bendigo last week.
Driven by Tayla French the Matt Higgins-prepared eight-year-old-daughter of Lis Mara finished with a powerful burst to claim her eighth win at her 70th start.
Calaquendi beat the Brett Bunfield-trained Causing Strife, who put in a big run, in PB 1:56.2 mile rate time.
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Four-year-old gelding Mummys Boy completed successive wins for Shepparton trainer David Moran with a last gasp win at Bendigo.
Driven by concession driver Shannon O’Sullivan Mummys Boy singled out with Brackenreid to fight out the finish and got the photo finish verdict by the smallest possible margin.
By Heston Blue Chip, Mummys Boy was having his fifth start for Moran since crossing the Tasman and had opened his winning account at his previous start at Shepparton.
A winner of four starts in New Zealand from 19 tries, Mummys Boy produced an impressive PB 1:53.1 mile rate in his latest win.
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A change in driving tactics proved a winner for the David Aiken-trained and driven four-year-old The Longest Day at Bendigo.
After winning at Shepparton on January 29, The Longest Day never got into the race at her next outing at Bendigo on February 4.
But Aiken made an early move in her latest race to take over the front-running position and she cruised home to win by more than 10m from the runner-up, the Steve Duffy-trained and Ryan Duffy-driven Hot Wire, who was impressive in defeat.
By American Ideal, The Longest Day has had three starts for Aiken and only 10 outings and looks capable of advancing through the classes.
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Extra-smart Bettors Delight mare Lottie Moon notched her fourth Victorian win from eight starts when she saluted last week at Shepparton.
The former Kiwi prepared and driven by Juanita Breen looked to be in trouble on the home bend when the pacemaker she was following Roslyn Gaye weakened.
But Breen was able to get Lottie Moon out into three-wide running space and she proved up to the task of rounding up Lady Lani who had kicked clear straightening for the run to the judge.
Lottie Moon returned a PB 1:54.7 mile rate for the 1690m trip in recording her fifth win — there have also been 10 minor placings — from 27 starts.
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Five-year-old Modern Art mare Cheeky Philtra fronts up most weeks and doesn’t win out of turn.
But her turn came again last week at Shepparton in arguably a career best run.
Trainer-driver Donna Castles settled the mare on the back of the pacemaker and roughie Miss Serena in the run and was able to run down that pacer in the concluding stages to hoist her third win from 35 tries in PB 1:57.1 mile rate time.
Owners of Cheeky Philtra Phil and Tracey Wade have been enjoying a good run of late with another of their pacers Justa Philtra winning successive races recently for Kyabram trainer Mick Blackmore.
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Masquerading, the winner of the two-year-old pace last week at Shepparton, is bred to be smart.
A gelding by Pet Rock, Masquerading is out of the Modern Art mare Press Play, who was a star on the racetrack with 12 wins and more than $138,000 in prizemoney.
Trainer-driver Craig Turnbull always had Masquerading in a forward position and he finished strongly to comfortably beat Popcornfriday and Ozzie Joy in 1:59.4 mile rate time for the 1690m scamper.
Masquerading showed on debut when second to the NSW visitor Mister Rea at Kilmore on January 28 he was a youngster with ability and on that run punters supported him into favouritism at Shepparton.
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Seymour trainer John Green enjoyed a win with five-year-old mare What A Pleasure at Shepparton.
A blistering start turned out to be a winner with What A Pleasure clearing her rivals from an extreme outside barrier draw at the start and then displaying a lot of grit to hold off all challengers in the drive to the finishing line.
Lightly-raced What A Pleasure was having only her 16th start and now boasts four wins and three minor placings.
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Trotter Allwoods Sunbeam hasn’t taken long to make her presence felt in the new season.
A winner of eight races last season the Clive Dalton-trained daughter of Majestic Son was stepping out for her second start in the new season at Shepparton last week and proceeded to deliver her 10 win in a heat of the Lyn McPherson Breed for Speed Silver Series.
Reinsman Josh Aiken drove Allwoods Sunbeam a treat and in a busy finish she ran down the pacemaker Aldebaran Alissa with the fast-finishing Prettylilangus filling the minor placing.
The win in 1:59.4 mile rate time for the 1690m trip was another PB posted at the meeting.
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Grand old pacer Murano chalked up his 30th win at his 197th start when he ran his rivals ragged on Sunday at Charlton.
Trained by Kyabram’s Fiona Widdup, the 10-year-old son of Bettors Delight worked to the front early from barrier six and then withstood all efforts to be run down over the 1609m trip, holding out the favourite Searover with a 57.6 last half.
As well as his 30 wins Murano has chalked up 37 minor placings in his long career which have taken his prizemoney earnings to more than $209,000.
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Meetings coming up:
Friday: Cobram (d), Melton (n).
Saturday: Terang (n).
Sunday: Cranbourne (t).
Monday: Maryborough (d).
Tuesday: Kilmore (n).
Wednesday: Mildura (n).
Thursday: Echuca (n).