Lag-nificent win for Echuca trainer
Echuca’s Mick McMahon has prepared 29 winners in seven years as a trots trainer but none were the price veteran mare Lagom was when she saluted at last week’s Shepparton meeting.
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McMahon produced the 10-year-old mare to win at 125/1 and as he said of the win, it was “by far the longest priced winner I’ve ever had”.
But before you start thinking whether he had a clean-up backing her, no.
He doesn’t bet.
McMahon did admit however some punters who follow his stable had some nice collects for very small outlays.
In her latest win reinswoman Tayla French got a late call-up to drive the daughter of Gotta Go Collect, whose previous win was at Bendigo in October of last year, eight starts ago.
After settling four back on the pegs, French brought Lagom from second last on the home bend wide out to swamp her rivals.
It was the warhorse mare’s 172nd start, which have now produced 15 wins and 38 placings.
Nine of these wins have been achieved under McMahon’s training for her owner, retired Moama businessman Robert Styles.
‘‘Robert is a top bloke and although he can’t get to the races these days he gets a kick out of her winning. I’m working another two for him at the moment,’’ McMahon said.
Styles bought Lagom from an advertisement after she had won six races, and naturally hasn’t regretted the purchase.
And while she is in the twilight of her career she showed with her latest impressive win she can never be underestimated and age is only as old as you feel.
Majestic performance from sire
One of the unheralded heroes of the Great Southern Star meeting at Melton last weekend was super stallion Majestic Son.
He sired four winners on the 10-event card, kicking off the meeting with a hat-trick — Exalted, Ofortuna and Plymouth Chubb — and came home with the last winner Regency.
Majestic Chick and Majestic Man, who are also both by Majestic Son, also chalked up second placings at the meeting.
Jack steers the Jet
Shepparton reinsman Nathan Jack claimed a heat of the $30,000 Great Southern Star at Melton last Friday night on the Anton Golino-trained Im Ready Jet.
Im Ready Jet was the fastest of the two heat winners with her 1.55.2 effort.
Jack gave Im Ready Jet the run of the race in the one-one sit and she mowed down the favourite Majestic Man in the concluding stages.
Jack put the six-year-old Quaker Jet mare into the $300,000 final at the 900m and looked a winner in the home straight, but had to be content with third place behind the favourite Just Believe and the 150/1 shot Musafa Metro.
Jack landed a double at the meeting also driving another from the Golino team, the exciting Shaunie, to his fifth win with two seconds in only his seven career starts.
Aiken in fine form
Avenel trainer David Aiken had a fruitful few days late last week.
He had a big day at last week’s Yarra Valley meeting, landing a long-shot quinella with trotters Houston Street and Lennys Angel, and also won another trot race at the meeting with Speedy Lover.
Driven by Josh Duggan, Houston Street, having just his third start, was the winner at nice odds of 16/1, while Aiken drove the runner-up, Lennys Angel, having only his fifth start and who was a 40/1 shot.
Speedy Lover made it three wins from eight starts when reinsman Chris Alford set him alight early to wrestle the lead, and from then on gave none of his rivals a chance.
A four-year-old Love You gelding, Speedy Lover has now won three of his eight starts.
It got even better for Aiken on the Saturday night when recent Shepparton Gold Cup winner Cranbourne claimed the $30,000 Pure Steel at the Hunter Cup meeting.
Taken from last to outside the pacemaker at 1000m by his reinsman Nathan Jack, Cranbourne, who is on his way to America, toughed it out to beat Crime Writer and Cant Top This in an impressive effort in his third Australian start for Aiken.
Muscles lands powerful win
Kyabram trainer Paul Railton got a well-deserved win with trotting mare Malhana Muscles when she saluted at Shepparton on Thursday, February 2.
The six-year-old daughter of Down Under Muscles was given the perfect drive by Railton and spread-eagled her rivals at the finish, beating the runner-up Yoee by nearly 18m with the Donna Castles-trained and Doc Wilson-driven Lindy Grace filling the minor placing.
It was the mare’s second career win and came after four top-five finishes at her previous four outings.
Oh Christiano
The Coomboona-trained Our Christiano made every post a winner at the Shepparton meeting.
Reinswoman Elle Tormey put the handlebars down early to take the lead on the Mark Gledhill-prepared mare who left her rivals standing around the home bend for an impressive win.
The runner-up, the Darryl Hill-trained and Donna Castles-driven Upright, finished nearly 26m in arrears of Our Christiano, who chalked up her third win from 29 starts.
The win was all the more satisfying for the trainer who also bred and owns the four-year-old.
Dazzling display
Somebody won some handy money when pacer Diamond Eclipse scrambled a win at the Shepparton meeting.
The John Newberry-prepared five-year-old son Pet Rock had plenty of punters’ support and firmed into a $3 chance on the tote when they jumped.
Newberry was able to slot Diamond Eclipse three back in the running line after being trapped three-deep early and when asked the question 600m out, he rounded up his rivals in the home straight and then warded off late challengers in the run to the judge.
It was the five-year-old Pet Rock gelding’s fourth win but there have also been eight runner-up finishes in his 39 starts, so he has been good for the Newberrys who also bred the pacer.
Tough as Iron
She’s done it again.
Iron mare Roslyn Gaye again showed it’s unwise to think she has had enough racing, producing her 16th career win at the Shepparton meeting.
Looking at best a place hope straightening for the run to the judge after enjoying the run of the race behind the pacemaker favourite Mahindi, Roslyn Gaye rallied again late to snare the major money.
It was the eight-year-old mare’s 165th race start and apart from her 16 wins she has chalked up 42 minor placings and prizemoney earnings of more than $110,000.
Damian Wilson, who drove Roslyn Gaye, also enjoyed a win the following night at Albury with three-year-old Will He Reign, who was too tough for his rivals.
Shepparton trainer Russell Jack and Euroa horseman Cameron Maggs also had wins at the Albury meeting.
Jack produced the hot favourite, the Leigh Sutton-driven Will He Pike to win his third race from six starts, while Maggs saluted with Momentum Swing to give Goulburn Valley trainers three winners on the six-event card.
Maggs was also in the winners’ circle at Kilmore on Sunday night, partnering the Peter Romero-trained trotter Sheetweb Weaver, a son of Yankee Spider, to a runaway maiden victory at his fifth race start.
Royal showing
Rochester trained gelding Thomas Royal won the battle in a two-horse war with the odds-on favourite Rainbow Storm at last Sunday’s Kilmore meeting.
A lightning move in the back straight by driver Jack Laugher, in which he took Thomas Royal to outside Rainbow Storm, who was setting the pace, ended with the pair drawing away from the peloton for a stirring battle.
But Thomas Royal won it convincingly in the finish, pulling right away to win by 17m.
Having his fourth start since joining the Mark Thompson stables and sired by Thompson’s great racetrack performer Guaranteed, Thomas Royal has been knocking hard on the door to open his winning account.
He had seven top-five finishes in his last nine starts going into the race but was surprisingly neglected by most punters as he paid a handsome $19 for the win.
She’s so Sassy
Shepparton trainers were well to the fore at Tuesday night’s Swan Hill meeting with Connor Crook landing a double.
Cook took a maiden pace with All So Sassy and completed the double with Occiano.
Sandwiched between these two wins was the Steve Duffy-prepared debutante Spring Ville, who landed some nice bets with an all-the-way triumph, driven by Ryan Duffey.
Spring Ville is out of the Life Sign mare Spring To Life, who has left other winners in Spring Delight and Spring Line.
Bred and owned by trainer Wayne Potter, All So Sassy was crying out to break her duck for Crook with four top finishes in her previous five starts and led her rivals a merry dance from start to finish.
Occiano has given Crook some challenging moments but was on his best behaviour at Swan Hill, posting his fifth career win and a 1.56.9 PB mile rate.
Three of his wins have been achieved in the 10 starts Crook has given the mare.
Bred by the late Jack Knight, Occiano is also owned by Wayne Potter.
Hometown glory
Shepparton trainers Steve O’Donoghue, Bec Bartley and Patrick Ryan and Ardmona’s Donna Castles flew the flag for locals at the Shepparton meeting on Wednesday, February 8.
The O’Donoghue-Bartley team struck twice, with Bartley driving trotter Yoee and pacer Galactic Girl to wins in successive races.
Ryan produced Little Miss Lily for a well-deserved win with Nathan Jack in the sulky.
The Ryan family races the three-year-old filly who is by the former David Aiken-trained champion pacer Lennytheshark.
Little Miss Lily was having just her fifth start but had three top-four finishes in her previous starts and was good enough to sway punters to support her into a $2.40 favourite.
Donna Castles was able to hold the lead on Cheeki Philtra and sprinted away from her rivals in the home straight to record her eighth career win.
The next seven days
They race again at Shepparton next Wednesday night.
Meetings coming up:
Today: Geelong (n)
Saturday: Melton (n)
Sunday: Kilmore (n)
Monday: Warragul (d)
Tuesday: Mildura (n)
Wednesday: Charlton (d) Shepparton (n)
Thursday: Hamilton (n)
Friday: Mildura (n)
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