Sulky Shorts with Gus Underwood

With Josh Duggan in the sulky, he cruised to the finishing line with over 12m to spare from the runner-up Aldebaran Jaytee with another outsider Tetra third.

Watch And Act has now had two placings and two wins at his last four starts and has now won six races with 16 minor placings from 54 career starts.

Watt a Legend

Tongala trainer Mick Watt produced the well-bred Trumpys Legend for his second career win when he saluted at the Charlton meeting last Friday.

Driven by James Herbertson, Trumpys Legend led early in the 1609m dash before handing up to Rockaria and then running that pacer down via the sprint lane.

Trumpys Legend had a had a run of nine ‘outs’ going into the race, but was well-fancied after finishing third to the veteran Really Under Fire at Echuca on New Year’s night.

But those punters who had backed Trumpys Legend when he scored his maiden win at Echuca in February last year with a 50/1 shot didn’t quite get that value in his latest win as he was the $3.50 second favourite.

By American Ideal, Trumpys Legend is the first foal of unraced Grinfromeartoear mare Best Expression to race.

Marvellous Mahindi

American Ideal four-year-old gelding Mahindi was rewarded for some consistent form with a strong win at last week’s Bendigo meeting.

Trained and owned by Nanneella horseman Col Godden and driven by Josh Duggan, Mahindi proved up to the challenge of racing outside the leader for most of the 1650m trip and warded off a wall of challengers in the run to the judge.

Mahindi had not finished further back than fifth in his previous six starts and had three top-three finishers in those runs so was ready to win.

And those punters following his fortunes would have been on good terms with themselves as he paid a handsome $12.

Mahindi is only the second foal out of the Mach Three mare Mashika who has also left Zambia (by Bettors Delight) a winner of six races to date in NSW.

Originally from New Zealand, Mahindi started his Australian campaign for Godden in Victoria but had a stint in Queensland where he won first-up at Redcliffe before returning to Victoria.

Madam impresses

Elmore trainer Frank Barac produced Madam Reactor for a PB win time-wise at Monday’s Maryborough meeting.

The six-year-old Auckland Reactor mare, driven by James Herbertson, enjoyed the run of the race on the back of the pacemaker Soho Lumine and got up along the sprint lane to beat that pace by a head.

Madam Reactor zoomed home in a 56.3 last half and her mile rate for the 1690m trip was 1.56.6, the fastest she has clocked in her seven wins, albeit over the short course.

With 21 minor placings from her 66 race starts, Madam Reactor has been a consistent money earner for connections with her latest taking her prizemoney earnings to more than $60,000.

Shepparton Gold Cup hero backing up

Shepparton Gold Cup winner Cranbourne will try to ‘‘play it again’’ in tomorrow night’s $150,000 Ballarat Pacing Cup.

And the impressive David Aiken-trained ex-Kiwi pacer again has the draw in barrier three to make a bold attempt.

Cranbourne has the gate speed to lead again but he also faces a stronger line-up in this feature which is loaded with genuine chances.

The star-studded field includes fellow Kiwi pacers Copy That and Old Town Road.

Copy That, who has won five of his last six starts, has drawn barrier five and Old Town Road, who has claimed three wins and two placings in his last six starts, comes from inside the second row.

The field, which has great depth, included recent Cranbourne and Bendigo Cup winner Major Meister, Inter Dominion winner I Cast No Shadow, the classy but enigmatic Rock N Roll Doo and the Emma Stewart pair Honolua Bay and Mach Dan.

Goulburn Valley reinsman David Moran will drive Honolua Bay and Mark Pitt will be in the sulky behind Mach Dan.

Nathan Jack will again partner Cranbourne while Aiken’s other runner Max Delight has drawn the car park, outside the back row, and although racing well will need a lot of things to go his way to get in the finish.

Most of the big guns will contest the other feature at Ballarat, the Group Three ER B Cochrane Trotters Cup.

Established stars in Just Belief, Im Ready Jet, Aldebaran Zeus and Pink Galahs will be in the sights of emerging talents in Hopeful Beauty, Ollivici, Mufasa Metro and Don’t Care in what promises to be a mouth-watering contest.

Stewart-Pitt shine in Tassie

The Emma Stewart-Mark Pitt combination was at it again in Tasmania last weekend, scooping four wins at the Devonport Cup meeting at Launceston.

They missed out in the $40,000 Devonport Cup when the favourite Hes Ideal had to be content with second place but combined for wins at the meeting with Zeus Dan, Major Grace, Idealrockidealroll and Where’s The Gold who were all odds-on favourites.

Pitt also drove a winner One Off, a 4/1 chance for mega trainer Ben Yole to make it five wins for the meeting, half the 10-event program.

The previous week, the Stewart-Pitt team struck five times at the Hobart Cup meeting.

Challenging night for the locals

Apart from Cranbourne’s Neatline Homes Shepparton Gold Cup win by the David Aiken-Nathan Jack combination there wasn’t too much to write home about for Goulburn Valley trainers or drivers at the meeting.

The exceptions were Murchison mentor Greg Fleming and reinsman David Moran.

They kept the local flag flying with six-year-old mare Orbie who claimed a $20,000 four-year-old and older mares race.

Driven a well-judged front-running race by Moran, Orbie defied to be run down by some talented rivals.

A 55.7 last half and a 27.4 last quarter proved too much for her rivals with the Steve O’Donoghue- Bec Bartley team filling the minor placings with Changeover Girl and Bettor Robyn.

It was a milestone win as the six-year-old Our Christiano mare took her prizemoney earnings into the $100,000 club with the triumph.

Orbie certainly deserved the win.

She hadn’t missed a top five place in her previous 13 starts and went into the race with three successive fourth placings.

Her mile rate of 1.56.4 was also a PB for the longer 2190m trip.

Orbie has now faced the starter 76 times for 11 wins, six seconds and 13 thirds.

What’s in a name?

When you have named as many horses as the Abrahams have over the years you could excuse them for coming up with the one that won his maiden race at the Charlton meeting last Friday.

Any Name Will Do is his name and he is a four-year-old pacer by Pet Rock who was having only his fifth race start.

He was given the run of the race by reinsman Jack Laugher in the one-one sit until the home turn when taken to the pegs before being eased out in the straight to peg back the 60/1 chance and pacesetter Bizzness Class and win by a half head.

The winner’s stablemate and favourite Ideal Copy finished third, seven metres astern.

Any Name Will Do had finished second at Maryborough at his previous start to put the writing on the wall for his maiden win.

Any Name Will Do is out of the Fake Left mare All Fake who is also the sire of Thinking Of You (by Ponder) who won 18 races and also Only A Copy who won three of nine lifetime starts.

Veteran winds back the clock

Evergreen pacer Really Under Fire is a 13-year-old and was lining up for his 260th start at the Charlton meeting but he was still too slick for his rivals.

Driven by Shannon O’Sullivan, Really Under Fire pounced on the lead from barrier three and then defied all efforts to be run down in the home straight with a sub-two-minute performance over the 1609m trip.

A son of the great Courage Under Fire, Really Under Fire has had a few trainers since he first started his racing career in 2012 but Inter Dominion-winning trainer Jim O’Sullivan puts the polish on him these days and he is obviously doing a good job.

Nice Gary

A confident drive from Stanhope trainer Gary Pekin landed Cresco Threepeat a winner at the Kilmore meeting.

Pekin manoeuvred the seven-year-old Blissfull Hall gelding into the one-one sit early but then took the pacer to the death seat with 1200m to run.

It proved a winning move as Cresco Threepeat surged to the front in the home straight and fended off all challengers in a tough win, the ninth of his 79-race career.

He had won three starts previously at the Cobram meeting in early December and this was his first start in the new season.

Trotter has a Touch of class

Goulburn Valley-bred Just A Bit Touchy is going to be hard to toss in the final of the time honoured Central Victorian Trotting Championship after a herculean heat win at Monday’s Maryborough meeting.

After going off stride early and losing about 100m on the leaders Just A Bit Touchy not only caught the field but came from last over the final 400m to round up his rivals in a remarkable win.

Just A Bit Touchy was bred by Congupna stud owners Blanche and Dean Poole and is out of the Skyvalley mare Gypsy Flair who has also left the winner Banglez who is by Majestic Son.

Just A Bit Touchy’s second dam Fiona Flair, who was by Entrepreneur, was a racetrack star who won 14 races and also made her mark in the breeding barn with eight winners including Mighty Maori (40 wins), A Touch Of Flair (34 wins) and Son Of Flair (27 wins).

Mel’s second winner

Mel Thackeray notched her second win as a driver and Lochinvar Charm scored a maiden win at his 18th try when they combined to win at the Cranbourne meeting this week.

Trained by her hubby Danny, Mel settled Lochinvar Charm three back on the pegs and used the sprint lane to gain the victory at the nice odds of 7/1.

Lochinvar Charm, a four-year-old daughter of Art Major, had six minor placings on the resume from 18 tries and three top four-finishes in the previous three starts hinted a win wasn’t away.

The week ahead

Cobram stages another meeting today and they race again at Shepparton tonight week.

Meetings coming up:

Today: Cobram (d) Melton (n)

Saturday: Ballarat (n)

Sunday: Geelong (d)

Monday: St Arnaud (d)

Tuesday: Mildura (n)

Wednesday: Kilmore (n)

Thursday: Stawell (d) Cranbourne (n)

Friday: Shepparton (n)