Benalla-raised Nikkita Ross is a breath of fresh air on the harness racing media scene.
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The daughter of former Benallaites Wendy and Jason Ross, now of Shepparton, Ross’ debut on free-to-air national television coverage on Racing.com last Saturday night was impressive to say the least, and she did herself and the industry proud.
With a history of the sport behind her Ross knows the game well and it certainly came over this way to viewers of the Hunter Cup meeting in which she featured with other media personalities Jason Bonnington, Rob Auber, Gareth Hall and commentor Dan Milecki
Ross is very familiar with the harness racing industry.
She is the granddaughter of well-known harness racing enthusiasts, former trainer Pam Wilson and her husband Eric, and niece of trainer Steve O’Donoghue and wife Anne.
Her father Jason is also a respected hobby trainer.
Ross, who has been working with Harness Racing Victoria for four years in a marketing-media role and also in Trots Vision coverage of meetings for several months looked a natural from her first appearance in front of the cameras.
She said she was excited to be involved in the free-to-air coverage as a ‘‘first’’ and relished the experience
Ross said she harbours ambitions of progressing to a permanent media role in the industry from what she has been delivering in part-time appearances.
And judging on her performances to date that looks what they call in racing parlance as ‘‘a certainty’’.
Successful Albury raid
Goulburn Valley trainers made a successful raid on last Friday’s Albury meeting, prevailing in four of the eight races.
Euroa horseman David Jack made a triumphant return to his former stomping ground, producing Mydadsaid for a meritorious win on debut against the older pacers.
Mydadsaid is a two-year-old by Sports Writer out of the winning Bettors Delight mare Nika Diva and is the first horse to race out of the mare.
Driven by Cameron Maggs Mydadsaid led throughout over the 1770m trip and held off the older pacers in 1:59.2 mile rate time.
Punters were well aware of Mydadsaid’s ability and he was supported into a $1.80 favourite.
Wahring trainer Rosie Weidenbach struck the next blow with Well Well, who
was given the run of the race by Kevin Weidenbach Jr and got clear in time to nab the pacemaker Glamors Symbol on the finishing line.
It was the Well Said gelding’s 10th win — there have also been 11 minor placings in his 92 starts — for Rosie and took his prizemoney earnings to more than $50,000.
The old warrior Hayjoshandco made it three wins in succession for Goulburn Valley trainers when he scored in dashing style for Shepparton mentor Dave Farrar.
Cody Crossland drove the 10-year-old aggressively to find the front, where the son of Grinfromeartoear proceeded to run his rivals ragged over the final two circuits.
It was one of the easiest of his 18 wins of his marathon 194 starts, which have also produced 59 minor placings for $116,989 in prizemoney.
He had nearly 25m to spare over the runner-up, the Nanneella-trained Digyourheelsin.
In-form Shepparton trainer Russell Jack completed successive wins with Wendys Wish when she saluted at the meeting.
Coming off a Cobram win on January 21, reinsman Leigh Sutton gave Wendys Wish the run of the race on the back of the pacemaker, and favourite, Pocket Line and the Somebeachsomewhere three-year-old filly wore down her rivals once she got clear on the home bend.
The Jeff Gledhill-trained and driven Fantasy Beach chased Wendys Wish home for second place in another Goulburn Valley quinella.
Wendys Wish is out of the multiple-winning Bettors Delight mare Lombo Sleek Streak, who has left three other winners including Santa Casa Beach a winner of 10 races to date.
Licorice all sorts week
It’s been an eventful and hectic week for David Moran.
The Shepparton horseman had to be content with a fifth placing with stable star Lochinvar Art in the $500,000 Hunter Cup at Melton last Saturday night.
While still not at the peak of his powers Lochinvar Art did all the heavy lifting in the run, sitting outside the winner, King Of Swing, for the marathon trip, beaten just more than 7m and still pocketing a handy $12,500 for connections for that placing.
Moran is now contemplating giving Lochinvar Art a brief let-up and missing the upcoming Miracle Mile carnival at Menangle and targeting him at the Queensland winter carnival.
Earlier at the Melton meeting Moran drove the Russell Jack-trained Hi Mynameisjeff to a dashing all-the-way win.
The five-year-old son of Art Major rated a blistering 1:51.4 for the 1720m trip and has now won four races with two seconds in 10 starts since joining the Jack stable.
He then made it a winning double for the night when he drove Like A Wildfire to victory for trainer Emma Stewart in the in the Group Three The Pure Steel.
Moran was then active at the APG sales on Sunday in Melbourne with three purchases including an Art Major colt for Lochinvar Art’s owner Kevin Gordon for $80,000.
After Sunday’s sales Moran had to face charges of betting in a race which he competed in at Echuca two years ago.
A decision on a suspension or disqualifaction period will be handed down next week.
Then at Tuesday night’s meeting at Shepparton Moran was back in the racing spotlight producing a debutant for an impressive win.
Our Lola Mae, a three-year-old daughter of Bettor Line ,defied a betting drift to run her rivals ragged.
The three-year-old filly, driven by Rodney Lakey, spaced her rivals, beating the runner-up Lavender Dolly by just on 30m in a 1:56.4 mile rate for the 1690m trip which included a 56.7 last half.
Our Lola Mae is out of the Village Jasper mare Alta Calypso, a winner of 13 races who has also left five other winners in the breeding barn, including Milly Perez (19 wins) and Changing Code (16 wins).
Reason to giggle
Stanhope horseman Gary Pekin has had at good week with winners at Shepparton and Melton.
At Shepparton commentator Lachy McIntosh said Pekin “must be giggling to himself’’ when the pacemaker Cheeki Philtra and Beach Time cut at each other in the lead.
Pekin was driving Cresco Goldigger who was sitting on the back of Cheeki Philtra and was unleashed by Pekin along the sprint lane in the home straight to beat those two warring horses.
It was only Cresco Goldigger’s second win in 34 tries, but was a reward for his consistency of late with his previous seven starts producing six top four finishes.
Pekin struck again on Wednesday at Melton driving the Ken Covington-trained trotter Bacardi Wood to his eighth win.
Pekin made full use of the eight-year-old Bacardi Lindy gelding’s favourable draw to lead all the way posting a PB mile rate of 2:02.0 in the process.
Another Goulburn Valley-trained all-the-way winner at Melton was Okinawa Beach for trainer-driver Damian Wilson.
Big Mac attack
Echuca-trained Cobber Mac vindicated his support into favouritism with an all-the way win at Shepparton.
Coming off a second at his previous start at the January 21 Cobram meeting punters identified him as the one to beat and he started a $1.80 favourite.
Despite drawing wide top reinsman Greg Sugars fired him into a front-running role early and in the run to the judge Cobber Mac held off Rolling Along and Paddington Central.
Trained by former top Echuca sportsman Fred McKenner it was the nine-year-old son of Gotta Go Collect’s fourth win from 63 tries, but he has also finished second on 10 occasions and third eight times.
Roslyn’s rockin’
Hardy mare Roslyn Gaye completed a hat-trick of wins when she saluted at Shepparton.
Coming off wins at Cobram and Shepparton at her past two starts, Roslyn Gaye, driven by Damian Wilson, prevailed in a blanket finish which required the camera to separate her, the Graham Lyon-trained Ace Montana and Kia Ora Beauty.
Prepared by Tongala horseman Gary Merkel it was win number 13 for Roslyn Gaye — there have also been 32 minor placings — and lifted her prizemoney to more than $82,000.
It’s all Rite
Hateitwhenyourrite gave a faultless display of trotting to complete successive wins when he saluted at Shepparton.
The David Abrahams-trained six-year-old son of Lucky Chucky, driven by Tayla French, enjoyed a cosy run on the back of the pacesetter Wisp Of Smoke and when asked the question responded positively, running away from his small field of rivals over the final 200m.
Hateitwhenyourrite, who was coming off a win at his previous start at the February 2 Cobram meeting, has now won five of his 40 starts with 10 minor placings.
Tough going
District trainers found winners in the feature events at Melton last weekend elusive.
Shepparton’s Russel Jack and Avenel’s Wayne Potter did best to produce runners-up in two of the Group races for pacers.
The Potter-trained and Mark Pitt-driven Boy From Bondi finished second in the $30,000 Group Three The Pure Steel, while the Jack-prepared Just Hope, driven David Moran, also had to be content with the runner-up placing in the Group Three $30,000 Gold Chalice.
At Friday night’s all trotters meeting the David Aiken-trained and Josh Aiken-driven mare Aldebaran Crescent finished third in her heat of the Great Southern Star to qualify for the final in which she ran sixth, beaten less than 12m, to Majestuoso, picking up $6000 for connections.
Kyabram-trained Senitas Success again had no luck in a big race for trainer Mick Blackmore, finishing third to La Serena in the $30,000 Group Two Trotters Mares Sprint Championship after an early break in the race.
The Juanita Breen-prepared Golden Sunset finished fourth in this race.
Coming up
Today: Kilmore (n)
Tomorrow: Melton (n)
Sunday: Ararat (t)
Monday: Warragul (d)
Tuesday: Geelong (n)
Wednesday: Maryborough (d), Shepparton (n)
Thursday: Swan Hill (n)
Sports reporter