Rochester trots trainer Mark Thompson produced the winner and third placegetter in last Sunday’s Boort Pacing Cup.
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The Thompson-trained Pas Guarantee finished strongly to claim the $14,500 cup in a photo finish with the Charlton-trained Cee Cee In America while his other runner Missed The Truth finished third after making the pace in the 2250m event from the mobile start.
Pas Guarantee, who was driven by Jack Laugher, made it four wins from his past five starts with the victory and his ninth win from 29 starts.
The added satisfaction of the win was the four-year-old is by Guarantee, a former topline pacer owned and bred by Thompson.
Pas Guarantee paid $6.50 for the win and his winning mile rate of 2:00.8 wasn’t far off the track record of 1:59.3 held jointly by Im Anothermasterpiece in 2021 and Perspective in 2019.
Another of the Thompson-trained team Warrantee almost pulled off a training double for the Rochester mentor, beaten a head in only his eighth trip to the races which had already produced two wins and a third placing.
Wemade a win
Shepparton trainer Steve Duffy struck again with in-form pacer Wemade Freo at the Boort meeting.
After winning at Echuca at his previous start on February 23, the five-year-old McArthur gelding repeated the dose at Boort, but not before some anxious moments on the home bend of the 1900m event.
Wemade Freo was sitting on the back of the pacemaker Delightful Mia when that pacer went off stride.
But Wemade Freo’s driver Tayla French was able to switch around the galloping Delighful Mia and then take Wemade Freo on to his eighth victory from 48 starts.
Oner person who is really enjoying the ride with Wemade Freo is his owner Owen Flynn who also bred the pacer.
Zeus best by Mile
All wasn’t lost for northern Victorian trainers, drivers and owners at last Saturday night’s Miracle Mile meeting at Menangle.
Outstanding Wahring-bred and owned trotter Aldebaran Zeus claimed one of the features at the meeting, the $100,000 Hammerhead Trotters Mile with a blistering front running display.
Reinsman Chris Alford took full advantage of the five-year-old son of Muscle Hill’s barrier two draw and Aldebaran Zeus was first out and first home.
Im Ready Jet, who was driven by Shepparton reinsman Nathan Jack, finished third.
The reason why nothing could run Aldebaran Zeus down was his scorching 1:52.8 mile rate for the 1609 (mile) trip which included a 57.7 last half.
On times it is only second to Maori Time’s almost unheard of 1:51.5 time winning a Group One race on the track over the same trip in February 2018.
Bred by Duncan McPherson of Aldebaran Lodge and partly owned by its managers Danny and Mel Thackeray, the Brent Lilley-trained Aldebaran Zeus is building an impressive resume with 17 wins and 15 placings from 42 starts and prizemoney of $384,000.
And probably a lot more to come.
Moran in minor hole
Shepparton reinsman David Moran had to settle for another placing in the Miracle Mile, finishing third on the Emma Stewart trained Honolua Bay who finished 3.4m from the winner, fellow Victorian Catch A Wave.
With the win, the 17th of his 22 race career, Catch A Wave boosted his prizemoney earnings to more than $1 million.
Fynn Frost raises bat
Shepparton-trained pacer Fynn Frost celebrated his 100th race start in style, saluting at last Saturday night’s Melton meeting.
The Connor Crook-trained and Jordan Chibnall-driven eight-year-old son of Always A Virgin finished powerfully wide out to beat Magic Mike and the David Moran-trained and Codi Rauchenberger-driven Bide Our Time.
The win, the 18th of his career, was popular with punters as he was a $3.70 favourite.
Crook has had the pacer for only 11 starts and has now won four races with another four top four finishes with the pacer.
Jack strikes thrice
Shepparton horseman Nathan Jack was the man of the meeting at Shepparton on Tuesday night, winning three of the first five races on the marathon 12-race card.
Jack kicked off the meeting with a win on Listen To My Heart, a three-old pacing filly by Well Said he also trains and who was having only her fourth start.
Listen To My Heart was the second fancy at $3.50, but after her win it was about to get a whole lot better for Jack’s punting supporters.
In race four he partnered the Clive Dalton-trained trotter Imperial Countess to win at starting odds of 13/1 and in the next race drove pacer Ace Montana for Kyabram trainer Graham Lyon to victory at starting price odds of 22/1.
Imperial Countess was having her first start since October and Dalton had her forward enough to win first up in a good training effort.
Ace Montana has been racing ultra consistently in this campaign and has now won three races with a second and fourth placing in those starts.
In his win on Tuesday night the Mach Three seven-year-old produced a career best mile rate of 1:56.3 in his 11 wins.
Other northern Victorian trainers in the winner’s circle at Shepparton were Steve O’Donoghue and Bec Bartley who produced the tough old warrior Mongiana for his 13th win and Merrigum mentor Luke Bryant who drove Well That’s Alright to his fifth win.
Byrneside horseman Damian Wilson also had a win at the meeting, driving the Don Lock-trained favourite Calypso Mistress to her seventh win.
Shades of Kennedy
There was a reminder of a great footy coach in Dooo Dont Think’s win on debut at last week’s Cobram meeting.
It was a line the legendary John Kennedy Sr often pulled out in his AFL coaching career and it’s a name well thought out because the four-year-old gelding is by a sire called Well Said.
Dooo Don’t Think looked to be struggling 400m from home after being driven quietly by James Herbertson near the rear of the field, but rallied strongly in the home straight to open his winning account at his first start.
Shazadele does well
Pacer Shazadele hasn’t wasted any time getting on the winners’ list.
A three-year-old filly by Huntsville Shazadele was having only her third start when she turned in an eye-catching run to come from last over the concluding stages at Cobram to beat the Nathan Jack-trained and driven Listen To My heart and the Mick Watt-prepared Eye See Philtra.
Trained and driven by Craig Turnbull, Shazadele galloped for a few strides after the start and was a conspicuous last before putting in a big run to get the money.
Shazadele was having only her third start and a second at Gunbower at her previous start had won her plenty of admirers and she was a $4.40 second favourite behind the NSW visitor Miki Pins who beat only one runner home in the six-horse field.
Yoee in purple patch
He’s done it again.
Nine-year-old trotting gelding Yoee continued his purple patch of form for a runaway win at the Cobram meeting.
Settling towards the end of the field, Yoee was driven a quiet race by co-trainer Bec Bartley who made her move on the son of Bacardi Lindy 500m from home and rounded up his rivals in effortless fashion.
Since resuming under the Bartley-O’Donoghue training team Yoee has had four starts for three wins and a second.
He was a generous price again at his latest win paying $4, but this was mainly because of the appearance of Sheetweb Weaver who has been turning in some eye-catching runs of late, but can still do things wrong which was again the case in this race.
Bec’s father David said the family was getting a big kick out of Yoee’s performances, particular his mother Carol who now has an ownership interest in the trotter and his breeder John O’Brien.
Viking effort
Promising pacer Viking made a winning return to racing with an effortless win at Cobram.
Having his first start since October the David Moran-trained and driven three-year-old son of Rock N Roll Heaven was given time to work to the front from a wide barrier draw and was never in danger of defeat after that.
He cruised home with more than 12m to spare over the Connor Crook-trained and driven All So Sassy with the Mark Pitt-driven Millys Prince filling the minor placing.
Owned by Rushworth’s Greg and Denise Muir who have raced some smart pacers down the years, Viking now boasts fives and a second from 10 starts and looks a pacer with a future.
Hoofnote: Viking won again at Wednesday night’s Swan Hill meeting, claiming the $14,000 Blue Pearl Classic, restricted to female drivers, and driven by the in-form Codi Rauchenberger.
Diamond dazzles
Bunbartha horseman John Newberry took the honours of driving the longest priced winner at the Cobram meeting.
Newberry got the chocolates with Diamond Eclipse who made it two wins in his past four starts and his fifth win with his latest success.
At starting odds of 40/1 Diamond Eclipse was not only the longest priced winner at meeting, but also one of the most impressive.
He led up the one-out division in the run and looked to battling straightening up, but rallied under pressure to just hold out the favourite, the David Moran-trained and Jordan Chibnall-driven Rocknrock Gig.
Jack pops up again
Shepparton horseman Nathan Jack just missed with Listen To My Heart, a pacer he trains, at Cobram but he didn’t go winless at the meeting.
Jack partnered the Barnawartha-trained The Golden Cross to a comfortable win.
Prepared by Wayne Anderson, Jack sent The Golden Cross straight to the front from barrier six and the 10-year-old Bettors Delight gelding was never in danger of being run down after that.
It was his 18th win — there have also been 33 minor placings — from 156 starts which have produced more than $136,000 in prizemoney.
Coming up
Today: Geelong (n)
Tomorrow: Melton (n)
Sunday: Birchip (d), Wangaratta (n)
Monday: Horsham (d)
Tuesday: Mildura (n)
Wednesday: Yarra Valley (d), Bendigo (n)
Thursday: Geelong (n)
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