Sulky Shorts with Gus Underwood

Spring In His Step produced a strong finish to win the $50,000 Breakthrough Pace final with David Moran in the sulky.

The four-year-old son of Somebeachsomewhere was forced to race wide for a good portion of the 2240m trip and finished powerfully to account for the pacemaker and odds-on favourite Kimble in the run to the judge.

Spring In His Step looks a pacer going places and has now won eight of his 25 starts with eight placings.

On Sunday Jack produced six-year-old Bettors Delight gelding Puntarno Stride to claim the Wedderburn Pacing Cup.

Puntarno Stride was ushered to the front at barrier rise from barrier four by young reinsman Bailey McDonough and fought off a gallant Brallos Pass who was parked outside him for the last half of the race.

Zadaka was a close-up third in a crowded finish in which 6m separated the first six pacers over the finishing line.

Punters plumped for Puntarno Stride because he had been racing in stronger company in recent outings and he started a $2.70 favourite.

It was a milestone 50th start for the pacer, who has now won seven races with 19 minor placings which have boosted his prizemoney to more than $78,000.

Starzzz sparkles

A change of driver made no difference to Kyabram-trained Hanover Starzzz scoring an easy win at Geelong on Monday.

Due to Nathan Jack suffering a stable accident on the morning of the race Bailey McDonough was given the drive by trainer Mark Watson — and made the most of it.

McDonough made an early, but unsuccessful move, to take up the front-running position on the five-year-old before easing to enjoy the trip on the back of the pacemaker and then dashing to an emphatic win in the home straight.

Hanover Starzzz was having only his second start back from a year on the sidelines and was well found by punters who supported him into a $2.30 favourite.

It was Hanover Starzzz’s 15th start which have now produced two wins and five minor placings.

McDonough, coming off a Wedderburn Cup win the previous day, went close to driving a double with another of the Watson runners, Miss Artemis, finishing second at big odds in a later race.

Carleno motors

The Steve O’Donoghue-Bec Bartley training combination has struck again with an impressively-bred debutant.

After winning with two-year-old Big Bad Aussie first-up at Shepparton prior to Christmas the duo produced four-year-old Carleno for a win on debut at the Wedderburn Cup meeting.

And punters were well aware that while his debut had been a long time in the making he had a generous share of ability, supporting him as if he was unbeatable into a $1.45 favourite.

And those punters prepared to buy their winnings didn’t have any anxious moments once Bartley found the front on Carleno after being forced to race wide early in the race.

Carleno is by top sire Mach Three out of the Classic Garry winning mare Bridge Player which makes him a full brother to Group One winning San Carlo, the best pacer O’Donoghue and Bartley have trained.

O’Donoghue said Carleno’s track debut had been delayed because he needed to mature.

‘‘He’s a tall, gangly, immature type and we aren’t hurrying with him, but he’s a very progressive horse with a good a future. We will give him a let-up now,’’ O’Donoghue said after the runaway win.

Let’s bank money

Smart pacer Letsrockletsroll joined the $100,000 winners club when he scored for Avenel trainer David Aiken last Saturday night at Melton.

Driven by visiting NSW concession reinsman Jack Callaghan Letsrockletsroll was given the run of the race on the back of the favourite Sanday and sprint laned to victory with a 26.8 final quarter.

The eight-year-old son of Rock N Roll Heaven has now won 14 races with 19 minor placings from 65 starts.

A Flash night out

Tongala trainers Michael Watt and Gary Merkel were to the fore last Thursday night at Shepparton.

Watt produced Tasma Flash for another win, following up his win at Bendigo on January 20.

Watt has had the seven-year-old Mach Three gelding for only six starts which have produced three wins, two seconds and a third placing.

Tasma Flash had to do it the hard way, three deep and then into the death outside the favourite and pacemaker Junior Warfare.

But he was up to the challenge, prevailing narrowly over that pacer in the drive to the wire.

Reinsman Damian Wilson pulled out a gem of a drive on Roslyn Gaye who notched her first win for the new season.

The hardy mare was locked away three back on the pegs coming off the back straight, but Wilson was able to extricate her and get her into clear running in the home straight and she wore down the Rosie Weidenbach-trained roughie Goodlookin Rooster at the finishing post.

The win was made that bit special by the fact that it was the fastest mile rate — 1:.55.8 — Roslyn Gaye has recorded 11 wins from 122 starts.

Cassie makes cash flow

Rochester-trained mare Cashflow Cassie made it two wins in her past five starts when she greeted the judge at Shepparton.

Trainer-driver Neville Pangrazio worked Cashflow Cassie to the front early and dictated terms to beat the old marvel, the Dave Farrar-trained and Cody Crossland-driven Hayjoshandco, in a two-horse war to the wire.

After a close-up fifth to Tasma Flash at Bendigo at her previous start and that pacer winning earlier in the program punters were keen to get on and Cashflow Cassie started a $1.75 favourite.

It was only her third win from 41 starts, but she is racing in career best form at present.

Eiffel towers over them

Merrigum trainer Brett Bunfield has wasted little time in producing Eiffel From Heaven for her first Victorian and career win.

After running second at Bendigo on January 20 in her Victorian debut the former NSW-trained pacer went one better at Shepparton to break her duck at her 13th start.

She had little luck in the run, but once her driver Bec Bartley finally got her into clear running in the home straight she sprinted over her rivals in an impressive win.

By Rock N Roll Heaven, Eiffel From Heaven is the only foal out of the Royal Mattjesty mare Parisology, a winner of nine races

Madam up and at ’em

Elmore-trained pacing mare Madam Reactor was rewarded for her consistency with a win at Shepparton.

The Frank Barac-trained mare was given the run of the race by young reinsman Bailey McDonough on the back of the pacesetter Whata Journey and sprint laned to victory over that pacer and the Steve Boyington-trained and driven Night School.

Madam Reactor had two seconds and a third in her formline going into the race and was overdue for the win, although she was ignored by a lot of punters and paid $7.50 for the win.

It was her fifth win with 14 minor placings from 45 starts.

Success breeds success

Classy trotting mare Senitas Success completed a good night for Goulburn Valley trainers at Shepparton with a tough win in a heat of the Trotting Mares Sprint Championship.

Despite parking outside the second favourite and pacemaker Everybodylovesme for a good portion of the 1690m trip the Mick Blackmore-trained and James Herbertson-driven Senitas Success proved too strong in the concluding stages to beat the Juanita Breen-prepared Golden Sunset and the well-fancied Everyonelovesme.

In winning Senitas Success booked her spot in the $30,000 final to be run at Friday night’s Great Southern Star meeting at Melton.

Senitas Success has now won six races with seven minor placings and her latest winning mile rate of 2:00.9 for the 1690m trip was a PB.

Change makes dollars

Cobram trainer Don Rudd produced pacer Some Change for a win at Wagga last Friday.

Top Riverina horseman Blake Jones had to thread Some Change through traffic from near the rear of the field over the final lap and the eight-year-old Somebeachsomewhere gelding was up to the challenge, eventually finding his way home via the sprint lane at nice odds of 7/1.

It was Some Change’s 11th win and his 1:56.2 mile rate for the 2270m trip was a PB.

Coming up

Today: Melton (d)

Tomorrow: Melton (n)

Monday: Yarra Valley (d)

Tuesday: Shepparton (n)

Wednesday: Melton (d), Mildura (n)

Thursday: Bendigo (n)