Smart Congupna-trained trotting mare Abbie made it two wins from two starts on the Kilmore track when she prevailed in typical dogged style at last week’s meeting.
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The four-year-old daughter of Majestic Son again had to do it tough, last into the home straight for the bell lap and then three wide before getting outside the pacemaker, Kyvalley Surfrider, for the last 600m before going on to a gutsy win.
At her previous start on the track on May 10 her trainer-driver Eddie Tappe had also set Abbie alight from the tail of the field at the 1200m mark to race in the death seat for the final lap and still prove too strong for her rivals.
Abbie has had just the 13 starts, which have yielded three wins and three placings, and with her big motor more wins should be in store.
Top combination rolls on
The all-conquering Emma Stewart-Mark Pitt combination struck twice at last Friday night’s Ballarat meeting to continue their recent run of success.
Pitt completed a treble on the Art Major mare Von Art, who had won at Maryborough and Launceston at her previous starts. The Launceston win was one of Pitt’s nine winners for Stewart at the cup meeting and Von Art has now won all three starts since joining the Stewart stable.
Pitt’s other winner for Stewart at the Ballarat meeting was Mosaic Art, who was making her Australian debut after winning two of her 15 starts in New Zealand.
Apart from the Pitt double, Stewart also had two other winners at the meeting.
Pitt and Stewart also combined at Saturday night’s Melton meeting to win with Treachery, who made it successive wins on the track after scoring there at the May 7 meeting when Pitt was also in the sulky.
Chloe wins at Wagga
Emerging Shepparton-trained filly Always Be Chloe made it two wins from her past three starts when she saluted at Wagga last Friday.
Top Riverina reinsman Blake Jones won the race, a final of a heat-final promotion, with a daring drive in which he took the three-year-old daughter of Always B Miki from last to first approaching the bell lap.
Always Be Chloe then outstayed her rivals over the remainder of the 1740m trip in a 1.57.8 mile rate, which included a 27.8 final split.
Always Be Chloe was at big odds when she saluted two starts previously at Shepparton on May 8, which she followed up with a third placing on the Riverina Raceway at her next start on May 13 in her heat behind Elegant Dancer.
Farrar has been making successful raids on Wagga meetings and recently won a race there with his warhorse Hayjoshandco, who is also owned by Always Be Chloe’s owners Stewart and Pam McDonald.
Stanbym delivers
It was a good start to the week for Avenel trainer Wayne Potter.
He scored with Art Major five-year-old Stanbyme at Monday’s Warragul meeting and then produced talented trotter Alluring Tyron to win at Wednesday’s Charlton meeting.
Stanbyme made it successive wins with his victory.
Concession driver Jordan Leedham capitalised on a pole-line draw and Stanbyme led his rivals from pillar to post in a smart 1.58.8 mile rate for the 2210m trip.
Stanbyme had won in similar style at his previous start at Cobram on May 12 when Leedham also was able to hold the front.
Stanbyme has now faced the starter 46 times for eight wins, eight seconds and five thirds, with his latest win taking his prize-money earnings over $50,000.
Driven by Greg Sugars, Alluring Tyron made a brilliant getaway from a 10m handicap and led throughout to account for Whos Countin and Whatwillbeewillbee in notching her sixth career win from 29 starts, four of these wins coming since she joined the Potter stables.
Elegant treble for Jack
Nathan Jack’s driving treble was the highlight of last week’s Shepparton meeting.
Jack partnered pacers Bide Our Time and Sweet Miracle and trotter Elegant Peak to wins on the marathon 12-event card.
Sweet Miracle, a five-year-old Sweet Lou mare trained by Luke Kilduff, was on debut and got no favours, racing most of the 1690m trip in the death seat but still proving too good for her rivals. Punters were well aware of her ability and she was a $1.60 chance.
The Rod Lakey-trained Bide Our Time provided Jack with an all-the-way win, the seventh of his 23-race career, which has included three seconds and a third.
Bide Our Time prevailed in a tight photo finish from the Greg Lewis-trained Little Demon, who stalked the winner throughout the run.
Jack combined with local trainer Clive Dalton to bring up his hat-trick with trotter Elegant Peak, who prevailed in a photo with Star Down Under to hoist his first Australian and third career win.
Elegant Peak raced the majority of the 1690m sprint trip three back on the pegs but Jack was able to get her into clear running straightening up and she finished stoutly.
A daughter of Danish sire Peak, Elegant Peak had 15 starts in New Zealand for two wins and a second before crossing the Tasman to join the Dalton stable.
A third placing at Bendigo on her Aussie debut and another top three finish at her previous start on the Shepparton track had indicated she was ready to win and she was sent out favourite.
No way for No Neigh
Talented pacer Always Locksley won a stirring duel with No Neigh Philtra at last week’s Shepparton meeting.
The pair of pacers went head for head for most of the 2190m trip, with the John Nissen-trained and Bec Bartley-driven Always Locksley just holding out the Mick Blackmore-prepared and James Herbertson-driven No Neigh Philtra in a titanic struggle to the finishing post. There was a gap of over 15 metres to the third placegetter, Le Spartacus.
It was Always Locksley’s first win from 10 starts but in four previous placings the three-year-old Always Be Miki gelding had shown he had his share of ability.
Always B Miki is an Always A Virgin stallion, who is starting to produce some good winners, including the Dave Farrar-trained Always Be Chloe, who has won two of her past three starts.
It was the third successive second placing for No Neigh Philtra, who is crying out to break his duck after six seconds and two thirds from her 13 career starts.
Freo to the four
McArdle four-year-old Wemade Freo made his fourth trip to the winner’s circle with a bold front-running display at last week’s Shepparton meeting.
Reinsman James Herbertson took Wemade Freo straight to the front over the 2190m trip and he just held off serious challenges from the Damian Wilson-driven Okinawa Beach and Ferocious Son in a blanket finish.
Owner Owen Flynn is especially enjoying the ride, as he bred and owns the pacer, who is prepared by Shepparton horseman and Inter Dominion-winning owner Steve Duffy and his family.
Some Change salutes at big odds
The surprise about pacer Some Change’s win at Shepparton last week was his price.
Trained at Cobram by Don Rudd the eight-year-old Somebeachsomewhere gelding paid $23 for the win after a perfect Shannon O’Sullivan drive.
At his previous start on his home track Some Change had stormed home to run second to Pirates of Zanzibar and in that field was Wemade Freo, who had won earlier in the Shepparton meeting.
Some Change has been a handy money-spinner for his large band of owners having now won 12 races with 14 minor placings from 79 career starts, which have produced close to $75,000 in prize-money earnings.
Noble prize is a surprise
Another longshot winner at the Shepparton meeting was the Rochester-trained Noble Julia.
Given the run of the race by reinsman Leigh Sutton, the Cailyn Guppy-trained Julius Ceaser mare finished strongly along the sprint lane to edge out the Echuca-trained Cobber Mac and the Mark Pitt-driven Heidi Go Seek.
Noble Julia doesn’t win out of turn and that was her second career win in 28 tries, with her other win achieved at the Cobram Cup meeting in early January.
Dances waltzes to victory
Bacardi Lindy mare Dances was rewarded for her consistency with her fourth career win at the Shepparton meeting.
Trainer-driver Donna Castles had two trotters in the race but pulled the right rein electing to drive Dances, who led from pillar to post and outclassed her rivals.
The win was popular with late-night favourite punters, as it was the final event on the 12-race card and she was an odds-on chance.
Dances’ previous six runs had produced three seconds, a third and two fourths, so the win was coming and well deserved.
Turnbulls at the double
Tatura North trainer Craig Turnbull and his reinswoman daughter Abbey pulled off a long-priced double at this week’s Shepparton meeting.
They saluted with 33/1 shot Inside Leg and then combined later in the program to win with 10/1 shot Made To Rock.
Another GV trainer to enjoy a longshot win was Kyabram’s Mark Watson, who produced Prosecco Boy to win the last leg of the main quaddie at odds of 22/1.
While they weren’t at fancy odds, other GV trainers in the winner’s circle at the meeting were David Abrahams, who won with the Nathan Jack-driven trotter Appearfromnowhere, and Cobram’s Don Rudd, who scored again with Some Change, who was driven by Shannon O’Sullivan.
Future meetings
Racing returns to Shepparton next Wednesday night.
Meetings coming up:
Today: Bendigo (n)
Saturday: Melton (n)
Sunday: Cranbourne (d)
Monday: Horsham (d)
Tuesday: Echuca (n)
Wednesday: Geelong (n)
Thursday: Kilmore (n)
Friday : Maryborough (d), Mildura (n)
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