Lethal strikes again
Echuca-trained pacing mare Lethal Lover completed successive wins when she scored at last week’s Cobram meeting.
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The five-year-old daughter of Pet Rock, prepared by Susan Hunter, had saluted at her previous start at Shepparton on August 17 and buttered up at Cobram with reinsman Rod Lakey again in the sulky for the third win of her 37-race career.
Lakey gave Lethal Lover the run of the race and although she looked to be struggling for a few strides straightening up, regained momentum and finished hard to prevail in a busy finish.
Walk in the park for Elenna
Elmore-trained mare Elenna didn’t break any records when she won at Monday’s Maryborough meeting, but as they say, you only have to win.
Top concession reinsman James Herbertson was able to secure the lead on the Matthew Higgins-trained seven-year-old daughter of McArdle and with no pressure on, Elenna strolled around and pulled out a 28.5 last quarter to fend off her rivals.
The mile rate was a leisurely 2.04.5, a time that wins few pacing — even trotters — races in these times.
But Elenna has gone a lot quicker than that in her seven career wins and with 17 minor placings, has been a consistent money earner for connections.
Shepparton reinsmen Mark Pitt, Nathan Jack and Rodney Lakey also produced winning drives at the Maryborough meeting.
Pitt partnered the Emma Stewart-trained trotter Hesallmuscle to a narrow win while Jack landed the Anton Golino-prepared promising trotter Shaunie to his second win in just three starts.
The Credit Winner four-year-old had won at his previous start at Ballarat on August 12 after debuting with a second on the same track.
Lakey partnered the Josh Kendall-trained favourite Ooga Chaka to a popular all the way win in the last leg of the main quaddie.
The Locomotive steams away with Menangle success
Exciting Goulburn Valley-trained two-year-old trotter The Locomotive again took no passengers in a runaway win in the $50,000 Nutrien Equine Haras De Trotteurs final at Menangle last Saturday night.
The Nathan Jack-driven Muscle Mass two-year-old colt prepared by Wayne Potter spread-eagled his rivals, winning by nearly 20m from runner-up Steve Gee with another Victorian, Mipersonaljet, completing a Victorian trainers hat-trick in the feature.
The Locomotive, who is out of the former champion trotting mare La Coocaracha, completed a hat-trick of wins with his victory and has now won three of his only four career starts.
Nathan Jack also partnered the Kate Hargreaves-trained Ludacrous who finished second In the $175,000 Nutrien Alabar two-year-old pacers fillies final at the meeting.
Another Goulburn Valley reinsman Mark Pitt had a big win at the meeting, teaming with leading Victorian trainer Emma Stewart to win the $175,000 Nutrien Alabar two-year-old pacers colts and geldings final on First Responder.
Nathan Jack drove Petracca, another of the Stewart runners in this race, and was favourite and finished a close-up fourth.
Potter in sparkling form
The Locomotive’s win came two days after the Wayne Potter-trained trotting mare Alluring Tyron won at the Charlton meeting.
Alluring Tyron has always had good manners and they were on display again with the four-year-old daughter of Muscle Mass making light work of a 20m backmark handicap and a field of talented rivals.
Driven by Ellen Torney, Alluring Tyron was in front in a flash and then ran her rivals ragged, accounting for two outsiders, Whos Countin and Kyvalley Heist, in easy style.
Alluring Tyron has now won six races since finding her way into Potter’s Avenel stables and being only a four-year-old, her days in the winner’s circle look far from over.
Another district winner at the Charlton meeting was reinsman Mark Pitt who drove the short priced Emma Stewart-trained So Art I to an easy win at the pacer’s first Australian start.
So Art I, a daughter of Art Major, had won just the one race in 19 tries in New Zealand before crossing the Tasman.
He’s the Man
Goulburn Valley trained pacers Nineteenth Man and Hiranya obviously like the Riverina Raceway at Wagga.
In his last three starts on the track, the Russell Jack-prepared Nineteenth Man has been successful on the circuit, the latest win coming at last Friday’s meeting.
It was also the Captaintreacherous three-year-old’s fourth win in his last eight starts, having also won at Cobram on July 11.
Driven by Nathan Jack, Nineteenth Man led early before Jack handed up the lead and ran down the pacemaker and favourite Escape Artist in the concluding stages.
Nineteenth Man ran a personal best into the bargain with a blistering 1.53.4 mile rate for the 1740m trip, which included a rivals-destroying 24.8 final half.
Former Kiwi pacer Hiranya made it two wins in his only starts at Wagga and stretched his winning sequence to four with his triumph.
The Craig Turnbull-trained three-year-old won the Tasmanian Derby at his previous start and before that had won on his Australian debut at Shepparton, both in the autumn.
The trainer’s daughter Abbey has been in the sulky for all four Australian wins with his latest effortless win achieved with a bold running effort.
Kilmore double
Shepparton trainer Russell Jack and reinsman Leigh Sutton combined for a double at last week’s Kilmore meeting.
Sutton partnered the Jack-trained pair Bravo Strike and Will He Pike to impressive victories.
Bravo Strike, a Captaintreacherous two-year-old, was having his second race start and now remains unbeaten after winning on debut at Wagga on August 5.
Will He Pike was having only his third career start after making his debut with a second placing at Shepparton and a win at Kilmore back in May.
At Kilmore last week for his return to racing, Sutton drove a confident race on Will He Pike, sending him to the death seat early and controlling the race from there.
Donna’s delightful week
Ardmona horsewoman Donna Castles had a fruitful couple of days in the sulky late last week.
Castles scored with trotter Dances at the Kilmore meeting on the Thursday night and the next day won with Lils Nightmare at the Cobram meeting.
Dances raced three back on the pegs and got clear in the home straight to mow down Mystic Chip and the favourite Kyvalley Surfrider to notch her sixth career win at her 66 starts.
As she had done at Kilmore with Dances, Castles was in the winner’s circle early at the Cobram meeting, again saluting in the first race with Lils Nightmare, who also produced a powerful finishing burst to account for the Glenn Freeman-trained Lets Dig It and roughie Lombo Eye Watch.
It was the Rock N Hanover four-year-old’s third career win in 30 starts and her winning mile rate of 1.56.6 for the 1670m trip was a personal best.
Grace-ful victory
Beautifully-bred trotter Firengrace notched her third career win in just nine starts with a commanding performance at the Cobram meeting.
The daughter of the champion trotting mare Zesta, driven by Stacey Towers for her trainer partner Mark Lee, settled three back in the run and finished all over rivals at the business end of the race to account for That’s Not My Gait with the pacemaker Starlight Storm battling on well for third.
A daughter of Majestic Son and bred and owned by Dean and Blanche Poole, Firengrace’s mile rate of 2.01.5 from the standing start smashed her previous PB of 2.04.9 when she won at Kilmore back in March.
The Lee-Towers team also had a second place-getter at the meeting in Victortheinflictor who finished second to the NSW visitor and hot favourite Woody Lombo who was on debut but had three trial wins leading into the race.
Knockout performance
The Weidenbachs struck with five-year-old Art Major pacer Binno Major at the Cobram meeting and in the process ko’d most early quaddie punters.
Winless in 13 previous starts, but placed on four occasions to show he had some ability, Binno Major was given the run of the race by Kevin Weidenbach Jr on the back of the pacesetter and finished strongly to beat the Brent Thomson-trained and driven outsider Country Major with the Echuca-trained Stormboy Star filling the minor placing.
Binno Major is trained by Paul Weidenbach, father of Kevin, and is well-bred with his dam, the Armbro Operative mare Saved A Corka, winning 24 of her 51 starts.
She has been a fine broodmare, leaving five other winners including Aspiring Artist (27 wins), Rap Artist (20 wins) and Our Little Artist (16 wins).
Close was good enough
Shepparton-trained mare Changeover Girl continued her streak of good form to notch her second win in her last three starts — albeit only just — at the Cobram meeting.
The five-year-old daughter of Changeover got the run of the race on the back of the pacesetter and 40/1 shot Bobsled Boy, who made a bold bid to lead all the way for trainer John Newberry and his reinsman son Matthew.
The Bec Bartley-Steve O’Donoghue-trained mare got the verdict by a short half head after a blistering final split of 27.4.
Changeover Girl has now won six of her 32 starts and also has eight placings in her resume so has been a consistent money earner for connections.
Meetings coming up:
They race at the Frank Raceway at Echuca next Tuesday night.
Today: Mildura (d), Melton (n)
Saturday: Melton (n)
Sunday: Cranbourne (n)
Monday: Charlton (d)
Tuesday: Echuca (n)
Wednesday: Hamilton (d) Bendigo (n)
Thursday: Kilmore (n)
Friday: Ballarat (n)
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