That’s our boy: Owners Pam and Stewart McDonald enjoyed another win with Hayjoshandco.
Shepparton trainer Russell Jack has produced a couple of smart pacers in the past couple of weeks.
Jack unveiled impressive Somebeachsomehere two-year-old in Spring In His Step for an impressive win at Echuca and then gained a first-up kill in Australia with former Kiwi pacer Star Ruler at Bendigo.
Spring In His Step got no favours on debut, sitting parked outside the pacemaker, the odds-on favourite Upright, and proved a bit too tough for that pacer at the business end of the race.
His mile rate of 1:57.3, which included a 57.9 last half, was the quickest of the meeting.
Spring In His Step is out of the Live Or Die mare Summa Of Dreams, a multiple winner, and is a full-brother of the Jack-trained Three Summas who has won 11 races and nearly $124,000 in prizemoney.
Star Ruler had saluted once in 50 tries in New Zealand, but had been thereabouts in a lot of his races with 19 placings, including 11 seconds.
Amanda Turnbull was in the sulky for his Australian debut at Bendigo in which he led from start to finish in a painless win.
It was interesting to note his mile rate of 1:55.4 for the 1750 m trip bettered his only other winning mile rate of a leisurely 2:08.8 over the 1800 m journey in New Zealand by a staggering 13.4 seconds.
It has been another big week for Turnbull who also had winners at Echuca and Shepparton.
The well-performed Shoobee Doo who was driven to victory for Turnbull by comeback reinsman Daryl Douglas scored at Echuca, while Sabruer saluted at Shepparton on Sunday.
Douglas took Shoobee Doo from the one-one sit 500 m from the judge and he quickly stamped his authority on the race, beating Nugget Pan and the Clive Daltonprepared Allmightyjoelouis.
Sabruer, who had won at Maryborough on his Australian debut the previous week, repeated the dose at Shepparton to record his fourth win from 29 tries.
Turnbull was in the sulky and drove a patient race on Sabruer, settling him three back on the outside in the run.
When she released the brakes the four-year-old Lincoln Royal gelding rounded up his rivals in dashing style.
Rock N Roll Heaven gelding Letsrockletsroll completed a good week for Lancaster owner Merilyn Dixon when he made a winning debut for the Aiken stable at Shepparton on Sunday.
Dixon had a winner at the previous Shepparton meeting in My Mate Col, who is trained by Russell Thomson who formerly prepared Letsrockletsroll.
Driven a patient race by Josh Aiken, Letsrockletsroll stormed home from the rear of the field in the concluding stages to beat he Keith Cotchin-trained duo, the odds-on favourite Brackenreid and Rocknroll Noah to record his seventh win.
Kevin Weidenbach Jr ruined hopes of favourite punters getting out on the last race at Shepparton by upsetting the odds-on favourite Melinka with The Diamond King third.
Weidenbach Jr settled The Diamond King, an 8/1 chance, midfield and launched the gelding in the concluding stages to beat Melinka and Magic Cruiser.
The Diamond King’s win deprived Melinka’s trainer Clive Dalton of a double as he had produced trotter Allwoods Sunbeam for a win earlier on the program.
An eight-year-old gelding by Stonebridge Regal, The Diamond King had not saluted in 11 starts with his previous win recorded at Kilmore in December.
But a recent third at Kilmore indicated he had his hoof on the till again and he ran up to that form.
The well-travelled The Diamond King is a veteran of 96 starts which have produced nine wins and 18 placings for more than $53,000 in prizemoney.
Shepparton-trained mare Interest Me notched her sixth win when she saluted last week at Echuca.
The Steve Duffy-prepared and Ryan Duffy-driven four-year-old Mach Three mare settled on the back of the pacesetter, the Walter Turco-trained and Abbey Turnbulldriven Tuffanuff from a second row draw and used the sprint lane to spear to victory over that pacer.
Interest Me’s previous win was six starts earlier in June at Shepparton and she has now won six races and been placed four times from 20 starts.
Kyabram trainer Wes Shellie produced promising three-year-old trotter Sultan Sass for her second win on the track within a fortnight at Echuca last week.
Driven by James Herbertson, Sultan Sass settled last off a backmark handicap of 30 m and looked to be struggling a bit 600 m from home.
But the Majestic Son filly unleashed an explosive finishing burst to reel in her rivals in an impressive effort.
Sultan Sass has raced only seven times for three wins and three seconds and looks to be a filly who won’t be out of place in feature events for three-year-old trotting fillies later in the year.
Trainer-driver Willie Cole hasn’t wasted any time in getting fiveyear-old Mr Feelgood gelding Tophut Johny into the winner’s stall in Victoria.
Formerly prepared at Dubbo, Tophut Johny was having only his second start for the Kyabram mentor after finishing second when he first produced him at Echuca on August 27.
Ironically that Victorian debut was only the fourth time Tophut Johny had raced on a track other than Dubbo where he had 15 starts for a win and two placings.
Firming into a $3.10 favourite for his Echuca assignment last week, Tophut Johny put in a tough run, sitting without cover outside the second favourite and pacemaker Sascillian and getting the better of that pacer in the concluding stages.
Giant Jackson utilised a favourable barrier draw at Echuca last week to end a run of 16 starts out from the winner’s circle.
Prepared by Craig Turnbull and driven by his daughter Abbey, the five-year-old son of Fourstazzz Shark drew barrier one and was able to retain the front running position over the 1755 m trip to hold out Jemsoms Pet and Orbie.
It was his fifth win with his last win recorded in August of last year when he won at Cobram.
Five-year-old mare Bye Bye Barbie made it two wins from her past three starts and kicked off a couple of fruitful days for Avenel trainer Wayne Potter when she scored at Echuca.
Driver Chris Alford stalked the pacemaker Hit The Sky on Bye Bye Barbie before sprint laning to victory over the Amanda Turnbulltrained The Crimson Prince and Hit The Sky.
Bye Bye Barbie won at Shepparton two starts previous and boasts a record of nine wins and 14 places from 53 starts.
Potter had another winner at Shepparton on last Sunday when Tuakana won on his Victorian debut.
A veteran of 74 starts, all but two of these were in Western Australia and his previous two at Menangle, Tuakana led throughout from barrier one for Alford and was never seriously challenged in defeating Cheeky Major and The Tooth Fairy.
Tuakana who was the $1.20 favourite, is a six-year-old Bettors Delight gelding now raced by the Potter family.
Another Goulburn Valley horseman to enjoy a win at Bendigo last week was Daniel Jack who partnered the Mary-Jane Mifsudtrained Imnopumpkin to his third win in eight starts.
Majestic Son trotter Allwoods Sunbeam gave her supporters some heart f lutters before taking the honours in a 30 to 120 class trot at Shepparton on Sunday.
The Clive Dalton-prepared and Josh Aiken-driven four-year-old mare was held up in traffic turning for home, but Aiken was able to extricate her into clear running down the home straight and Allwoods Sunbeam finished all over her rivals, downing the favourite Starlight Storm, who came from a 30 m handicap and comeback trotter Downtown Miss.
It was Allwoods Sunbeam’s first win since saluting at Shepparton on April 6.
It was also her fifth win with 14 placings from 45 starts.
Trying for his 13th win proved no hoodoo for consistent eight-yearold pacer Hayjoshandco who showed he hasn’t lost his winning habits with a strong win at Shepparton.
The Dave Farrar-trained and Damian Wilson-driven son of Grinfromeartoear came from near the rear of the field to get the verdict in a photo finish over the roughie Jumpinjackhanover and the David Abrahams-prepared Surfsup.
Raced by two of the keenest owners around in Stewart and Pam McDonald, Hayjoshandco is a veteran of 138 starts which have also produced 43 placings as well as the 13 wins.
His latest success takes his prizemoney earnings to more than $81,000.
Avenel trainer David Aiken produced another impressive youngster in three-year-old Honolua Bay, who streeted his rivals on debut, on Tuesday night at Bendigo.
Driven by Josh Aiken the son of Somebeachsomewhere made short work of a wide front row barrier — and his rivals — in an all-the-way win.
Bred and owned by Lauriston Bloodstock, Honolua Bay rated an impressive 1:55.6 for the 1650 m trip.
He is out of the Artsplace mare National Gallery, a multiple winner who has left three other winners — Rocknroll Hanover, Mach Up and Looking Fabulous.
Three of the Goulburn Valley’s best pacers will clash in a hot field tomorrow night at Bendigo.
Lochinvar Art, San Carlo and Reactor Now are engaged in the absorbing 2150 m event.
For the David Aiken-prepared Reactor Now it’s his biggest test in elite company, but he has the favourable barrier three draw to run a big race.
San Carlo will be having his first trip to the races since July 25, while Lochinvar Art, who will be favourite despite his outside back row draw, will be looking to repeat his last start win at Bendigo on August 22 when he looked back to his best.
Sicario is another pacer with district ownership interest contesting the race.
Today: Melton (d), Mildura (n).
Tomorrow: Bendigo (n).
Sunday: Echuca (d).
Monday: Maryborough (d).
Tuesday: Kilmore (n).
Wednesday: Stawell (d), Bendigo (n).
Thursday: Shepparton (n).
