Yoee beauty
She might be nine years old but trotter Yoee has been a bit of a revelation since her return to racing.
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Having just her third start back in this campaign, the daughter of Bacardi Lindy made it two wins with a dominant display at last week’s Shepparton meeting.
Driven by co-trainer Bec Bartley, Yoee came from third-last at the bell lap, and while giving a huge start to the leaders in the back straight, rounded up her rivals over the concluding stages to win effortlessly.
In her first start for the Steve O’Donoghue-Bartley stable Yoee saluted at Cobram on January 20 and then followed up with a huge second to Malhana Muscles after galloping at the start, at the Shepparton meeting on February 2.
Before joining the O’Donoghue-Bartley barn Yoee’s record was 21 starts for just the one win and six minor placings, so she is making up for lost time.
Yoee was the first leg in a double for the stable with Galactic Girl completing a race-to-race double, also with a dominant display.
Bartley sat Galactic Girl in the one-one sit and she finished off nicely to account for the favourite and pacemaker Jitterbug Arden and the Steve Duffy-prepared Wemade Freo, who put up a tough run in defeat.
Galactic Girl took her race record with the win to eight firsts, seconds and third placings from 54 starts, which have produced prizemoney earnings of $47,000.
The O’Donoghue-Bartley team struck again at Sunday’s Kilmore meeting, winning with the talented Big Bad Ossie.
Coming off an impressive win in his return to racing at the January 30 meeting at Maryborough, Big Bad Ossie, driven by Bartley, led throughout in his latest win.
The Life Sign four-year-old has had only the seven career starts and has won three of them.
Hammer blow to favourite
How many times does it happen?
A trainer has more than one horse in a race and the less fancied one is successful.
It happened at the Kilmore meeting on Sunday when Shepparton horseman Nathan Jack was represented by three runners in one of the first two-year-old pacers’ races for the new season.
Chart Topper, a colt by Captaintreacherous was sent out the $1.22 favourite, presumably because Jack had elected to drive the pacer.
His other runners were Hammer Dan, who had plenty of fans and was a $4.60 chance on the tote, and Acapella, who was given no chance at all by punters.
It was the David Moran-driven Hammer Dan who spoilt the party for the favourite punters via a sprint lane run.
After stalking Chart Topper, who made the pace in the race, Hammer Dam, who is by Vincent, went to the line strongly to beat Charter Topper by 5m in 1.57.9 mile rate time for the 1690m trip, which included a sharp 56.9 last half.
Three of the seven runners in the race were by the stallion Sweet Lou.
Jack also was in the winners’ circle on Monday at Warragul, driving trotter Lettuce Trot to his fourth career victory in just nine career starts for his trainer, father Russell.
Lettuce Trot had ruined his chances by breaking stride at his previous start at Melton but gave a flawless display at Warragul and never missed a beat in a soft win.
Weaving a winning web
How good is trotter Sheetweb Weaver?
Euroa horseman Cameron Maggs made it successive wins on the same track when the trotter saluted again in devastating style at Sunday’s Kilmore meeting.
Trained at Chiltern by Peter Romeo, Sheetweb Weaver made a fast getaway from a second-row draw to work to the front early and then proceeded to run his rivals ragged over the 2180m trip.
The four-year-old son of Yankee Spider had spaced his rivals by over 33m in his previous start on the track on February 5 and in his latest win had a whopping 52.3m to spare at the finishing line over the runner-up and favourite Stockman Peter.
Despite the arrogance of his previous win punters were still a bit wary and he was a $4.20 second favourite.
With an impressive 2.00.3 mile rate, which included a 28.4 third quarter, Sheetweb Weaver ran times in his latest win to suggest he is a very talented trotter.
Sheetweb Weaver is by the Muscles Yankee stallion Yankee Spider and is only the second foal to race out of the unraced Armbro Invasion mare Bold Invasion, whose dam Bold Dee Jay won eight races.
Read about Franco’s win
Merrigum trainer Luke Bryant also enjoyed a win at the Kilmore meeting with four-year-old pacer Franco Novelist.
Having his second start for Bryant and his fifth career outing, the former Kiwi pacer driven by Ellen Tormey went straight to the front from barrier two and was never headed over the 1690m trip.
Franco Novelist had locked wheels on his Australian debut when he finished down the track at Shepparton on February 2, but punters were wise to his ability and he started a $1.60 favourite.
Sweet Miss
There is no lack of owner support for pacing filly Little Miss Lily.
A winner at last week’s Shepparton meeting Little Miss Lily has an army of owners, all of them in the clan of the filly’s Shepparton trainer Patrick Ryan.
A daughter of the great pacer Lennytheshark, Little Miss Lily settled three back in the running line in the run, got three-wide into the race on the home bend and then put her rivals away with a stout finishing burst.
Little Miss Lily, who was driven for the first time by Nathan Jack, had shown she had plenty of ability in her only four previous starts and on that score punters sent her out a $2.40 favourite.
Her mile rate of 1.56.1 for the 1690m trip was more than respectable and indicated more of the same could be in store.
Cheeki victory
Modern Art mare Cheeki Philtra doesn’t win out of turn, but when it looks her turn she usually takes it.
That was the case again at last week’s Shepparton meeting when punters picked her to return to the winning list.
They were influenced by her barrier one draw and the lack of any superstar pacers among her rivals.
There was a charge for the lead at the start, but Cheeki Philtra was able to hold the front-running posy and with trainer-driver Donna Castles dictating the terms, was never headed after that.
It was the seven-year-old Modern Art mare’s eighth career win and she is now nearing the $50,000 milestone in prizemoney earnings.
The Castles-Doc Wilson team have done a great job with the mare, who was a bit of a handful in her early days but is now a genuine racehorse.
Crescent leads to winners’ circle
A heat of the mares’ Breed For Speed Gold Trotters series at last week’s Bendigo meeting resulted in eight-year-old Majestic Son mare Aldebaran Crescent posting a PB mile rate, and her first win since winning the final of the same series last year.
In her latest win, the David Aiken-trained and James Herbertson-driven Aldebaran Crescent had an early tussle from a wide draw to wrest the front-running position, where she remained for the 1650m trip, accounting for Keayang Livina and Keayang Xena in blistering 1.55.7 mile rate time.
Aldebaran Crescent pulled out a slick 26.7 first quarter to find the front and her win was the 14th of her 75-start career.
Crossland pair at Menangle
Goulburn Valley horsewoman Laura Crossland has runners in feature races at tomorrow night’s Menangle meeting.
Crossland has Chirripo contesting a heat of the NSW Oaks and Cheyella in the $50,000 Therese Cordina Robin Dundee Stakes.
Their chances haven’t been helped by bad draws with Chirripo drawn in barrier nine and Cheyella coming from barrier 11.
Having her first start since late December, Chirripo caught the eye at her latest start when fourth to Isthisjustfantasy in the Gold Chalice at Melton on February 4 and will strip fitter for that run.
Cheyella was also close up, finishing sixth at the same meeting, in the $100,000 Ladyship Cup.
One of Cheyella’s rivals will be fellow Victorian Tough Tilly, who will be driven by Mark Pitt.
The feature Group One race at Menangle tomorrow night is the $250,000 Chariots of Fire, in which the freakish Captain Ravishing, Catch A Wave and Heza Son Of Agun hold the hopes of a Victorian win.
Captain Ravishing has drawn the pole in the 1609m feature and there is plenty of speculation on what times he will run.
Royal repeat
Three-year-old gelding Thomas Royal followed up his win at Kilmore on February 4 by repeating the dose at Wednesday’s meeting at Charlton.
The son of Guaranteed was taken straight to the front by Shepparton reinsman Leigh Sutton and after pulling out a 27.4 final quarter never looked like being run down in the four-horse field.
Rochester trainer Mark Thompson has now started the gelding six times for two wins and two seconds after the pacer had failed to win a race in his first eight starts on NSW tracks.
Tatura trainer David Abrahams had a big day at the Charlton meeting with a double.
He produced trotter Hateitwhenyourrite to chalk up his sixth career win and pacer Ideal Copy for a dead-heat for first with Hes Goneski in a maiden race.
Hateitwhenyourrite was driven by Tayla French and Ideal Copy by Ellen Tormey.
Big night at Shepparton
A track record, a training treble and six district-trained or driven horses saluting was the score at Wednesday night’s Shepparton meeting.
More on those performances next week.
The next seven days
They race on Victoria’s biggest track — Gunbower — on Sunday and because of the predicted heat it’s an early start: first race 11.25am and last race 3.34pm.
An eight-event card is set down for decision with the $10,000 Alabar Vicbred Platinum Maiden Pace the feature.
Meetings coming up:
Today: Ballarat (n)
Saturday: Melton (n)
Sunday: Gunbower (d)
Monday: Maryborough (d)
Tuesday: Cranbourne (n)
Wednesday: Mildura (n)
Thursday: Melton (n), Echuca (n)
Friday: Ballarat (n)
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