Shepparton trainer David Moran is not too concerned he needs to negotiate a second row draw with his super pacer Lochinvar Art in Saturday night’s $500,000 Hunter Cup at Melton.
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Lochinvar Art has drawn barrier nine — two out from inside the second row — in the marathon 2670m showdown which carries a whopping $285,000 prizemoney for the winner.
‘‘If you draw the second row that’s probably the best draw to have, so I’m not too disappointed with it,’’ Moran said.
Lochinvar Art is a $1.30 favourite in early markets.
Moran has labelled the NSW-trained pacer, multiple Group One winner King Of Swing, as the obvious hardest to beat, but believes he could face problems from his second row draw if he attempts to try and take up his familiar front-running role.
‘‘He is going to have to do some do work if they want to try and lead with him,’’ Moran said.
Moran said the Emma Stewart-trained Fourbigmen was flying at the moment and couldn't be discounted.
He said the bonus of Lochinvar Art’s second row draw was that he would follow out a fast beginner in the NSW visitor Alta Orlando.
‘‘I think he will lead early and hopefully we can follow him out and be in a forward position early and sum it up from there,’’ Moran said.
Lochinvar Art goes into the race with five successive wins including the Shepparton and Bendigo cups at his past two starts.
Moran said Lochinvar Art had pulled up well from his last start Ballarat Cup win and was happy with the horse going into tomorrow night’s feature.
● Tonight at Melton is the all-trotters meeting which features $50,000 heats of the feature event, the Great Southern Star, with the $300,000 final on the same program.
In the second heat Kyabram trainer Wes Shellie has drawn the pole with Andyou, whileTongala’s Mick Watt has Dynamic Legacy coming from barrier six.
Both will be outsiders due to the presence of the favourite, the boom New Zealander Majestic Man and main Victorian hopes Pink Galahs and the well drawn Tornado Valley and Im Ready Jet.
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There are plenty of district hopefuls contesting Saturday night’s bumper Hunter Cup meeting at Melton.
The meeting features three Group One races, the $500,000 Hunter Cup in which Shepparton-trained Lochinvar Art is the pin-up pacer.
Also chasing the big spoils in Victoria’s most prestigious race are Avenel trainer David Aiken with the consistent Malcolms Rhythm, who has a sticky extreme outside back row draw to contend with.
Aiken is also chasing the big bucks in the $100,000 Group One Four Year Old Bonanza with the exciting Honolua Bay, whose driver Josh Aiken has to also negotiate a second row draw.
Amanda Turnbull has the emergency Sonny Weaver in this race.
Merrigum mentor Kima Frenning lines up Yorkshire in the $50,000 Mercury 80 Final and he looks to be in the race up to the tip of his ears after drawing barrier two in the short course (1200m) scamper.
Joint Shepparton trainers Steve O’Donoghue and Bec Bartley are chasing the $30,000 Benstud Rising Stars final with the tough campaigner Mongiano, who has drawn barrier four, and also Herehecomes who comes from gate 12 off the second row.
The O’Donoghue-Bartley team also has one of the main fancies in $30,000 Pure Steel in rising star Western Sonador who has drawn to run a big race from barrier two.
David Aiken is making a two-pronged assault on this final with the talented Max Delight and Sirletic, who have drawn next to each other in barriers five and six respectively.
Sirletic is also an emergency for the Hunter Cup.
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Bunbartha trainer John Newberry has a happy habit of producing longshot winners and he did it again last week at Kilmore.
Newberry lined up four-year-old pacing mare Amber Alert, driven by his son Matthew, for her 12th attempt to break her maiden status and she duly delivered at odds of 33/1.
After getting the run of the race on the back of the pacesetter Alte, Amber Alert sprint-laned to a bob-of-the-head finish over that pacer in a climax that even tricked the course commentator.
Amber Alert had shown a liking to the Kilmore track in December when she ran second to Feeling Enerjetic, also in a photo finish, in her only other appearance on the circuit.
By Mr Feelgood, Amber Alert is out of the Big Tom USA mare Chain Of Gold, a winner of two races who has also left the multiple winner Tweet About It, who has won five races for the Newberrys.
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Five-year-old gelding Have No Choice was rewarded for his consistency when he prevailed last week at Kilmore for Rochester horseman Col Godden.
In his previous seven starts Have No Choice had produced six top four finishes, comprising of three thirds and three fourths.
Urged to the front early by reinswoman Monique Burnett, Have No Choice was able to keep all his rivals at bay in the run to the judge over the 2180m trip.
Burnett is familiar with Have No Choice having previously trained the pacer before it switched to the Godden barn where it has been for eight starts.
A son of Four Starzzz Shark, Have No Choice has won three of his 27 starts with 10 minor placings.
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The David Moran-trained Mummys Boy opened his winning account in Victoria last week at Shepparton with a sprint lane victory with leading reinsman Chris Alford in the sulky.
It was only his second start for Moran after starting his career in Queensland where he won four races from 19 starts.
Mummys Boy is by Heston Blue Chip out of the Art Major mare Walking On Air a winner of one her three starts.
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Well-named pacer The Longest Day lived up to her trial form with a dominant win at Shepparton.
Having only her second Australian start, the daughter of American Ideal, out of the New York Motoring mare Summer Solstice, had blown her rivals away in a Shepparton trial the previous week after making her Australian debut at Menangle in December when everything that could go wrong did.
Transferred to David Aiken's stable after that run and impressing with her most recent trial effort, punters sent her out a $2.40 favourite at Shepparton.
But they weren’t on good terms with themselves when she showed no gate speed and drifted back to second last early in the 1690m dash.
But Aiken set her alight at the bell lap and she gradually reeled in her rivals before going on to an emphatic win.
The win was the first leg of a double for the Aikens who completed the meeting with a dominant win by the odds-on favourite Major Delico, driven by Josh Aiken, who encountered no problems in recording his eighth win with 17 minor placings from 43 starts.
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Kyabram-trained trotter Prettylilangus broke the track record in winning a heat of the Aldebaran Park Vicbred Platinum Sprint Championship at Kilmore last week.
The Brent Thomson-prepared five-year-old daughter of Angus Hall ran her rivals ragged with a dominant front-running display, which landed her a winner by 22.5m over the runner-up Louieville Lass with Merrigum trainer Luke Bryant filling the minor placing with the consistent Lexington Queen.
Prettylilangus’ mile rate for the 1690m trip of 1:58.2, which included a 57.8 last half lowered the track record for the trip set by the Group One performer Kheiron.
A 12/1 shot and driven by Anthony Manton, Prettylilangus is looking for richer spoils tonight when she tackles the $30,000 final at Melton, where she will come from barrier six.
Lexington Queen has also won a spot in the field along with the in-form Echuca-trained Aldebaran Poppy.
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Speedy Tongala-trained pacer Roslyn Gaye broke a run of 30 starts out of the winner's circle with an all-the-way triumph last week at Bendigo.
Not only did Roslyn Gaye run her rivals ragged, but posted a PB mile rate of 1:56.0 over the 1650m trip in recording her eighth win — there have also been 17 minor placings — which has her on the brink of $50,000 in prizemoney.
Veteran Tongala horseman Gary Merkel bred, owns and trains Roslyn Gaye, who was driven to her latest win by Chris Svanosio.
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Kyabram’s Mick Blackmore produced four-year-old mare Justa Philtra for her second win in the space of seven days at Shepparton.
A winner at Cobram the previous week when she broke her maiden status Justa Philtra was given a quiet drive at the rear of the field by reinsman James Herbertson.
She then began circumnavigating her rivals over the last lap and drew away to account for the Bryan Johnstone-trained Justcallmeaza and the Susan Hunter-prepared Daybreak Drama.
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Huge weekend of trotting coming up with the all trotters Great Southern Star meeting at Melton tonight and the Hunter Cup there tomorrow night.
Meetings coming up:
Friday: Melton (n).
Saturday: Melton (n).
Monday: Yarra Valley (d).
Tuesday: Swan Hill (n).
Wednesday: Shepparton (n).
Thursday: Melton (d), Bendigo (n).