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Shepparton News 10-05-19

Flexing Muscles in Fling Rathjen recalled

RYAN AND DUFFY LINE UP THEIR PROMISING YOUNG TROTTERS IN A BID TO CAPTURE NSW DERBY HONOURS

Plenty of district interest in tomorrow night’s NSW Trotters Derby with two Shepparton trained aspirants contesting the $40 000 Group Two event at Menangle.

In the red corner: Laura Crossland and David Moran enjoyed success with The Brooklyn Brawler last Sunday.

Arcadia horseman Patrick Ryan has the promising All The Muscles coming from a poleline draw in the event, while Shepparton horseman Steve Duffy will line-up the talented Flingandwingit from barrier seven.

They are two of seven Victoriantrained runners contesting the race.

All The Muscles resumed from a spell when he ruined his chances by going off stride in a race at Maryborough last week, but he is a talented trotter who will give a big sight if he trots all the way.

He will be driven by Anthony Butt which won’t do his chances any harm.

Flingandwingit, who will be driven by Ryan Duffy, is a young trotter with high speed and although drawn a little wide could win without surprising.

He has had the benefit of having had two runs on the Menangle track at his past two starts for a win and a third.

Two for Wes Andyou

Youthful Kyabram trots trainer Wes Shellie has produced diminutive trotting mare Andyou for two metropolitan class wins in the past two weeks.

After winning the previous week at Melton to claim her first metropolitan class win the five-year-old daughter of Majestic Son repeated the dose in a race last Saturday night which qualified her to contest the $30 000 final tomorrow night when she will again have to overcome a second draw from barrier 11.

The Justin Torney-trained Enforce The Law and the Mick Blackmore-trained Claudys Prince are other district-trained trotters contesting the same final.

Maggs wheels spin

Euroa horseman Cameron Maggs scored a driving double in what was a fruitful meeting for Goulburn Valley horsemen last Saturday night at Albury.

Maggs drove a pacer he trains Rollecks to a win in a three-yearold race and also partnered the Andrew Roberts-trained Mist You to victory in the following race for C0 Only class pacers.

Rollecks, a son of Lombo Pocket Watch, broke a run of nine outs — she had her last win at Wagga in June — but a fourth at her previous outing at Maryborough didn’t go unnoticed and she was a $2 shot on the tote.

Shepparton horseman David Farrar also enjoyed success at the meeting, producing the consistent Damian Wilson-driven Hayjoshandco for his ninth win.

Despite minor placings at Echuca and Shepparton at his two previous runs, Hayjoshandco paid a handsome $6 for the win.

The seven-year-old Grinfromeartoear gelding is now on the

verge of $50 000 in prizemoney with 14 minor placings accompanying his nine wins in his 80 starts.

Better than old one

Rochester-trained grey mare Weeks End is in fine form at the moment.

After landing her third win for the season with a tough performance in a C2-C3 class race last week at Echuca she buttered up to win again on Wednesday night at Shepparton courtesy of a bold drive from Zac Phillips.

Phillips also accompanied the Mark Thompson-prepared daughter of Jet Laag to her Echuca win when she proved up to the challenge of sitting without cover for most of the 2160 m trip and outtoughing her rivals.

She singled out with the Keith Cotchin-trained Brackenreid to beat that pacer in the drive to the wire with locally-trained pacer Dallas Nikolay filling the minor placing.

In her Shepparton win Phillips summed up a slow pace and sent Weeks End to sit outside the pacemaker Halle Marauia midrace which proved a winning move.

She went on to beat the favourite and stablemate Dunrobbin.

Weeks End has been a great moneyspinner for connections having now won 11 of her 37 starts with 20 placings for more than $71 000.

Rapidfire Rothko

Artistic Fella four-year-old Rothko claimed his third win for the season, his second win in a week and his fourth in 19 starts when he won on Wednesday night at Shepparton.

Both his latest wins were courtesy of copybook drives by Ryan Duffy, son of the trainer.

At Echuca Ryan Duffy had Rothko perched in the one-one sit before making his winning move on the home bend when he quickly reeled in the pacemaker and runner-up Montana McLeod.

He drove a more patient race with the same result at Shepparton.

Trained by Duffy’s father Steve, Rothko was bred by the Kevin Newbound Family Trust and is owned and raced by Shepparton Harness Racing Club committeeman Owen Flynn.

Rothko’s Echuca win brought up a driving double on the night for Ryan Duffy who bookended the meeting, winning the opening race on the Zac Steenhuis-trained Shadow Terror.

Another local owner to enjoy a win at Echuca was former Shepparton Harness Racing Club president Pat Mellington.

He has an ownership interest in the Greg Sharp-trained and Josh Duggan-trained trotter Tennoeagle who notched his second win with a f lawless pillar-to-post display of trotting.

Abbey jives to Music

Tatura horsewoman Abbey Turnbull was the third driver to complete the Echuca-Shepparton double when she reined veteran pacer Lights And Music to his 25th win at Shepparton on Wednesday night.

And Lights And Music provided Turnbull with the first win in a driving double at the meeting.

She also scored on the shortpriced favourite Kissing Game, trained by her father Craig.

Turnbull partnered Lights And Music for a win at Echuca last week when it as a case of third time lucky — it was her third drive and her first win on the 11-year-old son of Jet Laag who is trained near Rochester by Col Godden.

In his Shepparton win Turnbull had Lights And Music on the back of the pacemaker and favourite Roll Along Styx and took the sprint lane avenue to victory.

At Echuca he was among the tailenders at the bell and had to race four wide at stages over the final lap.

But he was up to the challenge, winning in a tight finish from the Damian Wilson-trained and driven Winkn Nod and the Brett Thomson-trained and John Caldow-driven Tillys Desire in a district trifecta.

Apart from his 25 wins the old warhorse has been in the minor money on 60 occasions with his prizemoney now close to $150 000.

Despondent, no way

Connections were far from despondent when a brilliant getaway paved the way for an all the way win for Kialla-trained pacer Despondent on Wednesday night at Shepparton.

Trained by joke-cracking horseman John Scott and driven by Steve Boyington, Despondent cleared the field from by barrier five to take up the front running over the short course.

Despondent had a ding-dong duel to the finishing line with the Damian Wilson-trained and driven Phelingood Philtra, getting the photo-finish decision by a halfhead.

Despondent, who is by Village Jolt out of the winning Morden Art mare Modern Lass and bred by Tania Ward, has now saluted twice for Scott in 22 starts, winning at Melton in January.

Sweep of the card

Every winner at Shepparton on Wednesday night was trained in the Goulburn or Campaspe Valley.

Four of the winners were coming off wins at their previous start.

Lights And Music, Weeks End and Rothko had all saluted last week at Echuca and the Amanda Turnbull-trained The Crimson Prince, repeated his Kilmore win of last Sunday with another runaway win.

Another local win enjoyed at Shepparton was achieved by Col Du Gaulbier in the trotters handicap.

Although slowly out, the Mark Lee-trained and Stacey Towersdriven Col Du Galbier tracked the favourite Rory McHinson into the race over the final 800 m and seized the moment when the favourite broke stride just before straightening up.

Although it was only his third win in 49 starts, the seven-year-old son of Great Success has 13 second placings and eight thirds to his credit, so has been a good moneyspinner.

Memories of Goulburn Valley trotting stalwart, the late Peter Rathjen, were revived with the win of Amazing Daisy at Kilmore last Sunday.

Amazing Daisy’s second dam, Burning Gold, left the extra smart mare Petes Dream who among her 21 wins was the $100 000 Ladyship Mile at Harold Park, NSW, in 2002.

Petes Dream was bred and raced by Rathjen whose family members now race Amazing Daisy, who is trained by the Drouin-based team Gary and Debbie Quinlan.

By Roll With Joe, Amazing Daisy was having her ninth trip to the races and rated 1:58.4 for the 1690 m trip.

Brawler a mauler

Shepparton-trained pacers scored the two easiest wins at Kilmore last Sunday.

The Laura Crossland-David Moran training team didn’t waste any time winning with smart pacer The Brooklyn Brawler, while Amanda Turnbull produced The Crimson Prince for a runaway win.

Having his second start for the Crossland-Moran team, The Brooklyn Brawler spreadeagled his rivals in a C1 Only class race.

When Moran released the brakes The Brooklyn Brawler, a four-yearold Art Major gelding, raced away to win by nearly 28 m.

The Brooklyn Brawler has always had a generous amount of ability and has now chalked up eight wins, 10 second placings and a third from 29 starts.

The Crimson Prince, driven by Josh Duggan, did even better than The Brooklyn Brawler to put his rivals away by more than 30 m in winning at his ninth start in a threeyear-old event.Double for Aik

Avenel trainer David

en Aiken produced winners at Echuca and Yarra Valley during the past week.

At Echuca he won with Tidal Surge who accounted for the Cameron Maggs-trained and driven Salvator Mundi and the Russell Jack-trained and David Moran-driven Santa Casa Dream.

At Yarra Valley Josh Aiken was in the sulky for his trainer-father to win with Jimmy Locke who was coming off successive minor placings.

Shaka a grand warrior

Sad to hear of the death this week of one of the pacing greats of the modern era, Shakamaker.

The John Justice-trained and driven champion won 46 of his 81 starts and more than $2.2 million in prizemoney.

The pinnacle of his racing career came in the 2000 $1 million Inter Dominion final when he beat Breenys Fella and Happy Asset.

 

 

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