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Shepp News 27-09-19

San Carlo off to Aotearoa

STAR SHEPPARTON PACER IS TARGETTING GRAND CIRCUIT RACES IN THE LAND OF THE LONG WHITE CLOUD

Picture: Stuart McCormick

Big plans: Trainer Steve O’Donoghue and driver Bec Bartley are targetting an ambitious Group One program with San Carlo.

An ambitious program has been set out for Shepparton-trained hero San Carlo who made his return to racing in last night’s Kilmore Pacing Cup.

Trainer Steve O’Donoghue said the Victoria Cup on October 12 was on the agenda for his star pacer, the New Zealand Cup in early November and the Inter Dominion in late November and early December.

‘‘We needed to give him a run and that’s why we are going to Kilmore,’’ O’Donoghue said earlier in the week.

‘‘The New Zealand Cup is on November 12 and all going well we can stay on for the Inter which starts three weeks later. The distances will suit him over in New Zealand.’’

O’Dongohue was pleased with San Carlo’s preparation for his return to racing.

The star pacer boasts a record of 28 wins from 48 starts with nine placings and stakemoney earnings of more than $468 000.

Seasong hear song

A perfect drive from Stanhope horseman Gary Pekin landed a win on debut for Echuca-trained pacer Seasong on Monday at Maryborough.

Prepared by Stephen Mark, the four-old daughter of Auckland Reactor showed plenty of high speed to reel in the leaders when Pekin released the brakes rounding the home bend.

Seasong quickly worked to the front from the one-one sit and beat another debutant El Boston, who had made the pace, in the drive to the finishing line.

Seasong’s mile rate of 1:57.9 was impressive for a debutant and Mark might have a smart horse on his hands.

Seven must be there

Ex-Kiwi pacer Raptors Delight produced his seventh successive Australian win within the space of 10 weeks when he saluted on Saturday night at Melton.

The David Aiken-trained Bettors Delight six-year-old, driven by Kima Frenning, led and held on to beat the fast finishing Hickstead in an 80-89 class race.

Raptors Delight, who has not been beaten in seven outings since joining the Aiken stable, was one of two winners at the meeting for the Aiken-Frenning combination.

Frenning pulled the right rein when she elected to drive Audi Hare ahead of stablemate and favourite Higherthananeagle in a 90-105 class event.

Frenning was able to urge Audi Hare to the front early in the 1720 m scamper and was able to hold off Higherthananeagle who had sat on his back in the run.

It was Audi Hare’s 13th win from 69 starts and boosted his prizemoney earnings to moe than $192 000.

Two of these wins were achieved in 11 starts in New Zealand before joining the Aiken stable.

Frenning’s double at Melton took her to a one-win lead in the metropolitan drivers’ premiership over Chris Alford and Kate Gath.

Aveiro goes boom

Four-year-old pacing mare Aveiro made it back-to-back wins when she sprint-laned to victory last Friday night at Shepparton.

Coming off her heat win at Cobram, the Sonya Mahar-trained four-year-old son of Alta Christiano was given the run of the race on the back of the pacemaker Goes Boom and got up the sprint lane to beat the favourite Shark Port who was gallant in defeat after breezing for most of the race.

James Herbertson was in the sulky for the heat and final wins and the 1:54.5 mile rate over the 1690 m trip in the final was a PB for the Wahring-prepared pacer.

Just better than them

Three-year-old pacer Just Ralph appreciated the drop in class to claim the honours in his age group race at Shepparton.

The son of Changeover was coming off the Group Two Home Grown Classic when he finished sixth, beaten 18 m, in that race which was won by the red-hot favourite Soho Hamilton.

There were no Soho Hamiltons in the Shepparton race and a midrace move by reinsman Zac Phillips proved a winner.

The Russell Jack-trained Just Ralph had just enough petrol in the tank to hold off the fast finishing favourite Daylight At Dawn and the David Aiken-trained and Kima Frenning-driven Storm Tide.

Just Ralph, who rated a slick 1:58.7 for the 2190 m trip, was having his fourth trip to the races and looks a pacer with a future.

He is the first foal to race out of the winning Four Starzzz Shark mare Krisney Girl.

Like a Tigers star

Four-year-old Bettors Delight gelding Revolt maintained his impressive current form to claim a runaway win in a 52-55 class race at Shepparton.

The Isabel Walsh-prepared pacer led and cruised to the line 24 m clear of the runner-up, the Craig Turnbull-trained Giant Jackson with another 4 m to the third placegetter Childers Road.

Revolt, who was driven by Kima Frenning, rated a PB 1:58.5 for the 2190 m trip in claiming his fifth win from 19 starts.

Willem and eager

Handy Shepparton-trained pacer Willem broke a run of 12 outings away from the winner’s stall when he saluted at Shepparton.

Bec Bartley rated the Steve O’Donoghue prepared Willem perfectly in a front running role, holding off Be Good Juddy and El Gran Senor in the concluding stages to hoist his 10th win.

A seven-year-old son of the former champion juvenile Lombo Pocket Watch, Willem had his previous win at Mildura in October.

He has now won 10 races for O’Donoghue with 10 placings from 44 starts.

His latest win boosted his stake earnings to more than $62 000.

Passion and fame

Smart pacer Passion Play made it three wins from his past four starts when he put up arguably the run of the night to take the honours in a 56-61 class race at Shepparton.

The Ian Ward-trained son of Shadow Play, one of reinswoman Kima Frenning’s two winners at the meeting, was trapped three wide for most of the 1690 m trip, but had the audacity to fight off all rivals after reaching the front on the home turn.

Passion Play, who rated 1:56, which was just outside his PB of 1:55.7, has had 17 starts which have yielded five wins and four placings.

Yo Bro he’s not slow

Lightly-raced Armbo Variable sixyear-old Bro Creed broke through for his maiden win when he prevailed in a 46-51 class trotters race at Shepparton.

Trained by Congupna horseman Mark Lee and driven by Stacey Towers, Bro Creed looked to be in trouble when trapped three back on the inside for the majority of the run.

But Towers was able to get him into clear running at the right time and he determinedly held off the David Aiken-trained and Marika Ericksson-driven Aimforthemoon in the run to the judge.

Bro Creed deserved his first win as his previous six runs had produced five top five finishes.

His dam, the Continentalman mare Abandoned Annie, was a winner from only a handful of starts and he is the first winner from the mare.

Nobody puts Boyo in the corner

Shepparton horseman Steve Boyington produced lightly-raced fouryear-old pacer Thatsmeinthecorner for a popular maiden win at Shepparton.

Thatsmeinthecorner, driven by the trainer, won an early battle for the lead and ran away from his rivals in the home stretch to beat the William Cole-trained Mister Parmeson by nearly 20 m with the favourite Western Crisis filling the minor placing.

Thatsmeinthecorner had one second placing to his credit from nine starts leading into the race, but was never going to be beaten this time.

By Badlands Hanover, Thatsmeinthecorner is out of the Safely Kept mare, the unraced The Charm School, and is her first winner.

No horsing around

Harness Racing Victoria has announced the finalists for each category in the Victorian Horse of the Year awards.

The awards will be presented at the Gordon Rothacker Medal night on Sunday, October 27.

Northern Victorian-trained pacers and trotters are in line for some of awards with all three nominations for the 5YO+ Pacing Entires/Geldings category — Buster Brady, San Carlo and Wrappers Delight — prepared in the Goulburn Valley.

Victorian Horse of the Year finalists are as follows:

2YO Pacing Fillies: Jemstone,

Maajida, Treasure

2YO Pacing Colts/Geldings: Be Happy Mach. Jilliby Nitro, Yejele Hammer

3YO Pacing Fillies: Kualoa, Tangoingwithsierra, Two Times Bettor

3YO Pacing Colts/Geldings: Lochinvar Art, Max Delight, Out To Play

4YO Pacing Mares: Goodtime Heaven, Pistol Abbey, Soho Burning Love

4YO Pacing Entires/Geldings: Poster Boy, Rackemup Tigerpie, Tam Major

5YO+ Pacing Mares: Carlas Pixel, Makes Every Scents, Tell Me Tales

5YO+ Pacing Entires/Geldings: Buster Brady, San Carlo, Wrappers Delight

2YO Trotting Fillies: Im Ready

Jet, Jaxnme, Pink Galahs

2YO Trotting Colts/Geldings: Andover Sun, Is That A Bid, Powderkeg

3YO Trotting Fillies: Emerald Stride, I Am Pegasus, Royal Charlotte

3YO Trotting Colts/Geldings: Alpha Male, Kyvalley Clichy, Majestuoso

4YO Trotting Mares: Aleppo Jewel, Moonlight Dream, Moonshine Linda

4YO Trotting Entires/Geldings: Chief Runningcloud, Kyvalley Finn, Majestic Player

5YO+ Trotting Mares: Dance Craze, Pantzup, Red Hot Tooth

5YO+ Trotting Entires/Geldings: Big Jack Hammer, McLovin, Tornado Valley

Coming up

Today: Shepparton (n).

Tomorrow: Melton (n).

Sunday: Cranbourne (d).

Monday: Charlton at Maryborough (d).

Tuesday: Terang (n).

Wednesday: Mildura (n).

Thursday: Echuca (n)

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