Shepparton reinsman Liam Older’s hot run of winners continued at this week’s Shepparton meeting with a bag of four winners.
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In his haul was a hat-trick of winners — Elleegant Lane, The Banker and Bettor Doo — in races three to five.
He hit the ground running at the meeting when he drove the Charlene Gusman-trained favourite Rom Baro to win the opening event.
It was back-to-back wins for Rom Baro, who came from near last at the bell to power over his rivals from the 400 metres for a second win on the track within a week.
Rom Baro rated a slick 1.55.6 for the 1690m trip.
Trained by Shepparton horseman Luke Tabone, Elleegant Lane made it three wins from her past four starts.
Eleegant Lane settled three back on the outside and produced a strong finishing burst to beat runner-up Try Vixen by nearly 16 metres, with the veteran Cresco Threepeat filling the minor placing.
The four-year-old Rock N Roll Heaven mare now boasts a record of five wins, five seconds and a third from 30 starts.
Older then made it three winners when he partnered the Leeton-trained The Banker to his 16th career win for trainer Michael Towers.
The Banker did a lot of heavy lifting early before getting a one-one sit and finished off the race strongly to wear down Wheres Wood Wood and Olly Odd Potts.
Older was then able to weave his magic in the next race on the Bendigo-trained Bettor Doo, who broke a run of 22 winless starts with his third career win.
It was Older’s first drive on the pacer who was having his 38th start and did all the work in the race, sitting parked and proving too tough for his rivals.
Winning is nothing new for Older, who has driven 245 winners in his driving career, which started in Tasmania as a 15-year-old.
He drove 50 to 60 winners in Tassie before taking a job with Julie and Glen Douglas’ stables at Bendigo where he worked for three years.
He has been in Shepparton for the past six months, spreading his time with the Bec Bartley and Craig Turnbull stables.
He is enjoying his time at his new base and is in no hurry to go anywhere.
He said the past few months had been the most successful in his time in the sulky and he was looking to drive more winners.
He said his four winners at Shepparton were the most he had driven at a meeting.
‘‘I have driven three winners a couple of times but not four,’’ the well-mannered reinsman said.
Hoofnote: Older was back in the winner’s circle on Wednesday night, partnering the Ross Graham-trained Cool Story to a win at Ballarat.
Major victory
Apart from the Older heroics in the sulky, Goulburn Valley trainers and trainers had another good night at the Shepparton meeting.
Tatura North trainer David Abrahams produced Major Friend for a well-deserved win, with Mark Pitt in the sulky.
With five thirds and two seconds from 10 race starts going into the race, the three-year-old son of Art Major was due to salute – and that’s what duly happened.
Major Friend settled second last and last from a second row draw but produced a blistering finish to win running away from Alcatraz Miss and Just My Luck to hoist her first win.
Shepparton reinsman Nathan Jack picked up the drive on the Isabel Walsh-trained Dembe when James Herbertson was a scratching at the meeting — and made the most it.
Jack had the three-year-old Lochinvar Art colt dominating from the front over the final lap and won effortlessly.
There was a touch of irony in the finish, with the runner-up, the Josh Aiken-trained Ronnie The Hammer, driven by David Moran, who trained Dembe’s sire, the champion Lochinvar Art.
Dembe completed a hat-trick with his win, having won on the track at his previous start on September 29 and at Wagga the start before that.
He has now faced the starter 14 times for five wins and two seconds and will try to improve on this record when he contests a heat of the Victoria Derby at Melton on Saturday night.
Diamond sparkles
GV reinswomen Tasmyn Potter and Abbey Turnbull drove winners and Bec Bartley trained a winner at last week’s Kilmore meeting.
Tasmyn continued her hot streak of driving form to salute on the Julie Douglas-trained Ozzie Diamond.
It was the first time Tasmyn had driven the daughter of Raging Bull and although she had some anxious moments early, she gave the pacer the run of the race on the back of the pacemaker and zoomed along the sprint lane to win, much to delight of punters who supported her into a $1.80 favourite.
Soho Playgirl made it two wins in three starts for new trainer Craig Turnbull with a last-to-first performance.
Reinswoman Abbey Turnbull made her move at the bell on Soho Playgirl, circumnavigating the field and running her rivals ragged in a dominant win.
The four-year-old Soho Trifecta mare’s race record is now full of fives.
She has had 35 starts for five wins, five seconds and five thirds for over $45,000 in earnings.
Bec Bartley has been enjoying her share of success of late and produced promising pacer Melican for his second win in as many starts.
The two-year-old Always B Miki filly, driven by Liam Older, blitzed her rivals, beating the runner-up Ozzie Tart, driven by Tasmyn Potter, by nearly 20 metres in 1.56.6 mile rate time for the 2180m trip.
Three for Pitt
The Pitt driving juggernaut continued last week, with Stanhope reinsman Mark Pitt driving a hat-trick of winners at Friday night’s Melton meeting.
Pitt drove the three winners — Mount Barker Boy, Colombian Princess and Cigano — to wins on the night and all were odds-on favourites.
Cigano’s win brought up Pitt’s 1209th career victory. All three winners were trained by Emma Stewart.
Shepparton reinsman Liam Older also enjoyed a win at the Melton meeting, reining the Ray Cross-trained trotter Romantic Nina to victory.
Slow going
Mark Pitt doesn’t finish last very often in the driving ranks but he did in the Australian Drivers Championship at Globe Derby last Saturday night.
Pitt was representing Victoria along with James Herberston but drew some slow horses. He had three last placings and two second last placings but did finish off the series with a win with Claire Gobell-trained trotter All The Trix.
Herbertson finished fourth while the winner was NSW reinswoman Ashleigh Delossa, who drove two winners, two seconds and a third.
Nitro goes bang
Feature events at the Geelong Cup meeting last Saturday night dished up unexpected results.
Underrated pacer Jilliby Nitro saluted in the Geelong Cup at 25/1 and beat some of Australia’s best pacers in the process.
The McNamara Trotters Cup was won by Imperial Monarch, who led throughout to beat the odds-on favourite and backmarker Rockinwithattitude.
Jilliby Nitro is a nine-year-old gelding by Bettors Delight, who hasn’t received the publicity some of his rivals enjoy but has won 22 races and nearly $620,000 in prizemoney.
Strong bloodlines
Local studs Alabar, Benstud and Rhiannon Park flew the flag for the GV at the Geelong Cup meeting with winners.
Benstud bred Schwartz, Alabar Ollies The Boss and Dean and Blanche Poole bred trotter Sky Flair (Volstead-Gypsys Flair), who all won at nice odds.
The Pooles had a good week, with a well-named pacer they bred, Go Without (Go Hungry-Nikkis Delight), winning at Menangle the previous Saturday night.
Wicked show of speed
The Kyabram crew that own pacer Wicked Wizard celebrated another win with the pacer at Menangle last Saturday night.
The four-year-old son of McWicked staged a huge run to notch his seventh career win in 27 starts. There have also been nine minor placings.
Kyabram publican Brenton Sheppard, Peter Hall, Rob Whitford, Tony Hanson, Rohan and Suzie Bennett and Steve Sharp are among the owners of the pacer, who produced a scorching PB mile rate of 1.51.6 over the 1609m trip in a decisive win.
Farewell, Barry
It’s not going to seem the same at Cobram trots meetings in the future following the recent death of Barry Bennett.
Barry was a regular at meetings over the years, snapping photos on a voluntary capacity and giving the industry vital exposure with this gesture.
The local Show Society, of which he was a life member, will also miss him.
Test for young trotters
Feature events at Melton on Saturday night have GV interest.
Donna Castles will tackle the $60,000 Need For Speed three-year-old trotters fillies final with Amira, who won her heat at odds of up to 150/1.
But she has drawn gate six off the front row over the short trip, so will need things to go her way.
Congupna trainer Mark Lee has Munny The Munster tackling the Need For Speed trotters final for three-year-old colts and geldings. He has also drawn wide in gate seven off the front row, but still looks a key player.
Heats of the Victoria Oaks and Victoria Derby are also being contested at the bumper meeting.
Meetings coming up
Friday: Melton (n)
Saturday: Melton (n)
Sunday: Cranbourne (d)
Monday: Maryborough (d)
Tuesday: Shepparton (n)
Wednesday: Kilmore (n)
Thursday: Ballarat (n)
Friday: Geelong (n)
Saturday: Melton (n)