He got a lot of satisfaction out of his dad and it looks like one of his sons is going to give him a nice ride too.
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Euroa horseman David Jack prepared the best two-year-old trotter of his time, Im Stately, and now has one of that trotter’s sons, Marengo Bay, starting to make a name for himself.
The three-year-old was having just his fourth race start when he stepped out at the Cobram meeting on Monday and was supported as if he was unbeatable. Which turned out to be the case.
The three-year-old was backed in from $6 on the fixed odds to a $1.20 chance and vindicated the confidence with a dashing win.
He was sent by Jack from near the rear of the field to outside the leader, Starlight Storm, at the bell lap and dictated terms from then on, posting an impressive 2.00.5 mile rate for the 2170m trip from the mobile, which included a 58.8 last half, in beating the Fay McEwan-trained Watch And Act and the Wes Shellie-prepared Fugle.
Unlike his dad, Marengo Bay is a towering, sturdily-built trotter, and has plenty of maturing to do yet.
He displayed his ability in his first start, at Geelong on October 6, which he would have won if he trotted all the way, before winning at his next start, at Shepparton.
And at his third trip to the races he went off stride in a heat of the Victoria Derby but was still good enough to get up and run sixth to the eventual Derby winner Kyvalley Hotspur, beaten by only 13m.
Well aware of his ability and prepared to risk him trotting all the way punters never had any anxious moments at Cobram with his total domination of the race.
Hoofnote: Marengo Bay finished fourth in a heat of the Breeders Crown at Maryborough yesterday.
Ima Destroyer aptly named
It was a good couple of days for Im Stately as another of his sons, Ima Destroyer, saluted in runaway fashion at last Sunday’s Maryborough meeting.
Trained by Kyabram horseman Brent Thomson and driven by Josh Aiken, Ima Destroyer lived up to his name with a dashing all-the-way win at his 21st race start.
But with seven minor placings in those starts he has always shown he had his share of ability.
He is out of the Malhana Gindin mare Strike Destroyer, a winner of eight races for Paul Paton and who has left winners in Liava (13 wins) and Full Of Herself, who now both retired.
Ima Destroyer was also engaged in a Breeders Crown heat at Maryborough yesterday.
It’s Partytime
Echuca trainer Susan Hunter has achieved her third win with trotter Partytime, who proved too tough for his rivals at the Cobram meeting.
Driven confidently by Rod Lakey, the five-year-old son of Majestic Son worked to outside the pacemaker Starlight Storm early in the 2170m mobile event, surged to the front on the home bend and then held off all challengers in a slick 2.02.0 mile rate for the 2170m trip from the mobile.
The favourite, Lifeinthebalance, and the Damian Wilson-prepared mare Kallarney Heidi filled the minor placings.
Partytime is out of the five-time winning Yankee Spider mare Dizzyinterest, who has also left Dizzy Jet, a winner of five of his 21 starts.
Partytime is in career best form, with her past seven starts yielding three wins and two minor placings.
Allshookup salutes for Potter
Avenel trainer Wayne Potter hasn’t wasted any time returning talented pacer Allshookup to the winner’s circle.
The former Shayne Eeles-trained son of Rocknroll Dance finished second at Cobram in his first start for Potter on November and went one better at Monday’s meeting when driven by concession reinsman Jordan Leedham.
Leedham was able to take the lead on Allshookup and dictated terms throughout the race to beat the Steve O’Donoghue-trained Wayonbye, with the Laura Crossland-trained and driven favourite Cheyella filling the minor placing.
Eeles still owns Allshookup and won six races with the talented pacer, who is building a strong resume with his 20 career starts producing seven wins and three minor placings.
Jacksboy does it the hard way
Lightly raced five-year-old pacer Jacksboy was up to the task of the leading up the three-wide lane for the last lap, proving too tough for his rivals at the Cobram meeting.
It was the Steve O’Donoghue and Bec Bartley-prepared son of Art Major’s second win at only his sixth start.
Despite doing all the heavy work over the 2170m trip, Jacksboy was still able to post a PB mile rate of 1.58.8, which included a 58.3 last half.
Jacksboy had to dig deep to hold off the Steve Duffy-trained Grinning Assassin by a half neck, with Outside Fighter finishing third.
Bec Bartley drove Jacksboy and in this column last week I credited her with having driven the skewbald Holstein into second place behind Prosecco Boy at the Cobram meeting on November 1 when in fact it was Abbey Turnbull.
Abbey has partnered Holstein in all his nine career starts, the last at the Cobram meeting when he finished fifth in the final to Prosecco Boy.
I know Bec and Abbey will forgive me.
Boy, what a win
Kyabram pacer Prosecco Boy completed a heat-final double with an audacious win at Monday’s Cobram meeting.
Prepared by Mark Watson, the five-year-old gelded son of Betterthancheddar posted a 1.55.1 PB over the 1670m trip, which was 0.8 of a second quicker than his heat win, to outstay his rivals in arguably his best career win.
He had to work three-wide early to get outside the leader and then worked to the lead on the home bend. He kept finding up the home straight to notch his seventh win from 32 starts.
Prosecco Boy is out of the Walton Hanover mare Rosalee Hanover, a winner of eight races and who has left seven winners including Stunning Grin, a winner of 16 races and over $180,000 in prize money.
French lessons pay off
Heathcote trainer Terry French has certainly turned the form of pacer Havana around.
The son of Caribbean Blaster had three career wins from 37 starts in NSW before joining the French stables.
In six starts for French, Havana now has claimed four races and has been placed in his other two starts.
The latest win was achieved at Bendigo last Friday night when driven by French’s daughter, Tayla, he upstaged a field of 11 rivals in convincing fashion.
Mojitos all round
Stanhope trainer-driver Gary Pekin produced his second winner in the space of four days when Cresco Mojito upstaged a field of more fancied runners at last Friday night’s Bendigo meeting.
Pekin got the money at the Yarra Valley Melbourne Cup Day meeting with Rocks Can Roll and buttered up to win with the trotter Cresco Mojito at last Friday night’s Shepparton meeting.
A four-year-old daughter of Bacardi Lindy having just her ninth race start Cresco Mojito hit the ground running from barrier five from the mobile start and held all her rivals at bay over the 1650m sprint trip.
Cresco Mojito had impressed at her previous start when third to outsider Buslin Brody at Maryborough on October 29, but was mostly ignored by punters in scoring her maiden win as a 15/1 shot.
Maggs rams home a winner
Euroa horseman Cameron Maggs made the most of a trip to Albury on Tuesday night to land the first leg of a training double for Chiltern trainer Peter Romero.
Maggs partnered the Romero-trained Rambunctious, who was trapped wide in the early stages before working to a front-running role that he held for the remainder of the 1770m trip in recording his seventh career win. It was the four-year-old’s second win in his past three starts, having saluted at the Shepparton meeting on October 27.
Romero then struck with outsider Million Dollar Art, who provided young reinsman Harry O’Neill with his first win.
Next generation on show
Breeders Crown semi-finals for two- and three-year-old pacers take centre stage at tomorrow night’s Melton meeting.
Today Shepparton hosts a mammoth 11-event card, with the first race at 11.33am and the last at 5.33pm.
Meetings coming up:
Today: Shepparton (d) Mildura (n)
Saturday: Melton (n)
Sunday: Cranbourne (t)
Monday: Horsham (d)
Tuesday: Bendigo (n)
Wednesday: Ballarat (n)
Thursday: Maryborough (d), Kilmore (n)
Friday: Mildura (d), Melton (n)
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