Shepparton horseman David Moran and premier trainer Emma Stewart combined to win two of the Vicbred Super Series finals at Melton last Friday night.
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Moran partnered the champion youngster Ladies In Red to win the three-year-old pacers fillies final and also guided Honolua Bay to victory in the four-year-old entires and geldings pacers final.
Both were odds-on chances and while Ladies In Red was given a run for her money by stablemate Rogue Wave she still scored in commanding fashion.
The daughter of Mach Three made it 17 wins from 20 starts with her dominant performance in which she did all the heavy lifting and was still too good for her rivals in a 1:54.8 mile rate.
In her only three defeats Ladies In Red finished second and Moran has been in the sulky for her past 15 wins, the past four in succession.
Moran summed up her latest win by saying ‘‘it’s a privilege to drive her. She is just an amazing horse’’.
Honolua Bay gave another sample of what could be to come with a tough win in a blistering 1:53.7 mile rate.
Apart from his wins on Ladies In Red and Honolua Bay and his third on Spring In His Step, Moran was also among the placings on the Stewart-trained Captain Rival, third behind the winner Heza Son Of Agun in the two-year-old colts and geldings pacers final.
Aiken bolter almost king
No Goulburn Valley trainer experienced major success on Super Sires grand final night, which had $1.18 million in prizemoney up for grabs.
But Avenel trainer David Aiken came within 5m of causing a major upset with Narutac Prince in the three-year-old pacers colts and geldings final.
Driven by Josh Aiken, Narutac Prince charged home at cricket score odds of 150-1 to finish second to the hot favourite Bondi Lockdown.
Third home in the race was the Russell Jack-trained Spring In His Step, who was driven by David Moran, and fourth to greet the judge was another Emma Stewart charge, Longfellow, partnered by another Shepparton driver, Bec Bartley.
Great Memories
While they were striving for the mega money at Melton on New Year’s Eve there were nice ‘‘earns’’ for two district trainers at Bendigo the previous night when the Silver and Bronze finals of the Vicbred Super Series were decided.
Talented Shepparton-trained pacer Beach Memories returned to her best form to score a resounding win in the Silver Pace two-year-old fillies final.
The Kasey Kent-trained daughter of Somebeachsomewhere, driven by Rodney Lakey, came from near last at the bell and despite working three deep over the final circuit was too good for her rivals.
She accounted for the Keith Cotchin-prepared Sassiness, who ran home nicely at big odds, with the favourite, Heavenly Sign, filling the minor placing.
Beach Memories, owned by a syndicate that includes Shepparton trots tragic Rod Booker, has now chalked up six wins and five placings from 15 starts and with three wins in her past five starts looks a pacer with a future.
Breen reigns supreme
Avenel trainer driver Jaunita Breen also savoured success at Bendigo, claiming the colts and gelding two-year-old Bronze Pace with Roarforroscoe.
The son of Betterthancheddar was able to take up the front-running position from his barrier four draw and after being headed in the home straight was able to fight back and defeat the favourite, Prince Sahara, and All Da Rage in a blanket finish in which just more than a metre separated the first four past the post.
Roarforroscoe, bred by the trainer and partner Aaron Brown, was having his fourth start and has already recorded two wins and a third.
Caldow right at home
It was a triumphant homecoming for John Caldow at the Echuca Harness Racing Club’s annual New Year’s Day night meeting on Saturday.
The Melton horseman, who was raised in Echuca and cut his teeth in the industry alongside his late trainer father, Jack, on a property on the edge of the town, made the most of his only drive at the meeting.
He partnered the Kyabram-trained talented trotter Jackson Square to a dashing win in one of the $10,000 feature events on the 10-race card.
Caldow urged the Mick Blackmore-prepared Jackson Square from a 30m backmark into a forward position early in the small field before taking the lead for the final two laps where he proceeded to run his rivals ragged in the 2530m marathon.
With a 28-second final quarter he pulled well clear of his rivals to beat the runner-up, co-backmarker Travel Bug, by nearly 12m, with the favourite, Chissy, filling the minor placing.
Jackson Square was bred and owned by Stanhope trots stalwart Mac Poole and is by Bacardi Lindy out of multi-winning mare Front And Square, who has left another smart trotter in Majestic Grace.
Plunge comes off
A betting plunge on Yorkshire in another of the features at Echuca, the Moama Bowling Club New Year’s Cup, delivered in spades.
The Shaun McNaulty-trained and James Herbertson-driven six-year-old firmed from $16 on fixed odds to a $3.70 chance and proved too tough for his rivals after racing outside the pacesetter, La Puddie, for the last lap and a half.
The other feature, the Frank and Carmel Ryan Memorial Pace, provided an upset, with 70/1 chance Modern Bliss securing an inside run in the straight to beat Cee Cee In America and a brave Brackenreid in a blistering 1:56.3 mile rate for the 1755m trip.
Echuca and district trainers failed to crack it for a win on their home track.
The Ros Rolf-prepared Beach Time, driven by Olivia Weidenbach, put up a bold front-running display only to be run down in the shadows of the post by the Bendigo-trained Ferocious Son, who had the sit on the Echuca mare in the run.
Tongala pacer Tasma Flash was supported confidently at nice odds in the opening event and figured in a blanket finish, but had to be content with third place behind Miss Tyler.
Starlight delight at Echuca
There were 161 starts in his old legs, but you wouldn’t have thought so the way Starlight Storm ran his rivals ragged at Echuca.
The 10-year-old son of Yankee Spider, trained by Bunbartha horseman Brian Bourke, gave a dashing front-running display to leave his rivals in his wake, arriving at the finishing line with nearly 11m to spare over the runner-up, the Mark Lee-trained and driven Miss Tipsy, with the Donna Castles-trained and Doc Wilson-driven Lucky Serina filling the minor placing,
Starlight Storm had not won in his previous 24 outings, with his most recent win coming at Shepparton in April.
But some encouraging recent form, including a second at Shepparton on December 28, tempted punters to support him into a $2.40 favourite and he vindicated that judgment.
It was also Starlight Storm’s 13th win and with 31 minor placings he has prizemoney earnings of more than $92,000.
Godden finishes 2021 in style
Nanneella trainer Col Godden enjoyed a good year in 2021 and rounded it off with a win at Albury on New Year’s Eve.
Godden produced former Kiwi pacer Sport Mental, who was driven to a strong victory by Abbey Turnbull.
Turnbull made a mid-race move to sit outside the leader with Sport Mental and controlled the race from then on.
Godden has now won five races, including two in a Queensland campaign, with the former Kiwi pacer, who made a winning Australian debut in June last year.
Euroa horseman Cameron Maggs also saw the new year in with a winner, partnering the Peter Romero-trained Rambunctious to a win at nice odds at the meeting.
Jay Bee breaks drought
Veteran Elmore trainer Jimmy Beecroft showed he could still produce a winner, scoring at last Sunday’s Boort meeting with veteran trotting mare Jay Bee Flex.
Driven by top reinsman Greg Sugars, Jay Bee Flex led all the way to score her first win since saluting at Shepparton in November 2019, which was 29 starts ago.
It was Jay Bee Flex’s eighth win from 79 starts, which have also produced 11 minor placings and more than $61,000 in prizemoney earnings.
Local success at Geelong
There was a local connection with the win of trotter Sonnumberone at last week’s Geelong meeting.
One of his owners, Corey O’Donoghue, is the son of Shepparton trainer Steve and his wife Ann.
Corey is currently working for the trotter’s trainer, Lisa Miles, who now trains and drives the horse.
But Corey has had a fair bit to do in getting Sonnumberone, who was having only his second start, to the races.
He finished sixth to This Quaker on debut at Bendigo on December 10 and the now five-year-old is by top sire Majestic Son out of the deceased Wagon Apollo mare Onlyonewoman.
She was a more than handy trotter who won 11 races and was placed in another nine of her 42 starts.
Sonnumberone is the only one of two foals she had to make it to the races.
Success at Leeton
To say Narrandera horseman David Kennedy made a flying start to 2022 would be understating it a bit.
Kennedy took seven pacers to the Leeton Cup meeting on the night of January 1 and produced the first five winners on the seven-race card.
Ironically the race he wanted to win most escaped him. It was claimed by former Merrigum girl Ellen Bartley with Nerano, who has now won seven of his past eight starts.
Jackson Painting piloted three of Kennedy’s winners, Couldnt Recommend ($1.35), Im So Needy ($1.70) and Puntaway ($2.80), while Rod Coelli partnered the other two, All Good ($41) and Louthario ($9).
Coming up
Today: Melton (d)
Tomorrow: Bendigo (n)
Sunday: Cobram (d)
Monday: Maryborough (d)
Tuesday: Swan Hill (n)
Wednesday: Geelong (d), Bendigo (n)
Thursday: Kilmore (n)
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