PITT HAS HIS FILLY READY TO ROCK IN FEATURE RACE FOR FILLIES AT MENANGLE TOMORROW NIGHT
Shepparton’s Mark Pitt is one of several Goulburn Valley horsemen looking forward to tomorrow night’s mega Menangle meeting.
Picture: Stuart McCormickRock solid: Shez All Rock will be a top chance in tomorrow night’s NSW Oaks for trainer-driver Mark Pitt after an impressive heat win last Saturday night.
Pitt enjoyed his biggest win as a trainer when he produced Shez All Rock for a NSW Oaks heat win at Menangle last Saturday night.
Shez All Rock put in a huge run, coming from second last at the top of the straight and getting the better of the hot favourite Nostra Villa in the dying stages in a blistering 1:55.7 mile rate for 2400 mt rip.
An $11 500 yearling sale purchase and raced by Pitt’s Leeton parents Ian and Leanne, Shez All Rock has suffered only the only one loss in four starts.
That’s when she was beaten by Higher than an eagle in the George Croxford Tribute at Cobram on February 5.
Two of Shez All Rock’s wins were achieved when she was being prepared for a short time by leading Victorian trainer Emma Stewart.
Pitt said Shez All Rock was broken-in by respected and versatile Euroa horseman Cameron Maggs and although she had some problems with her gait she was improving with every run she has.
And Pitt was more than impressed with how Shez All Rock handled the testing 2400 m trip in the Oaks heats.
‘‘I wasn’t quite sure about how she would stay in the longer races, but she certainly handled it well on Saturday night,’’ Pitt said.
Pitt is not sure what his tactics on Shez All Rock, who has drawn barrier five, will be tomorrow night, but he’s stoked about being in the blue riband event with a genuine winning chance.
Pitt has been one of Victoria’s leading concession drivers for the past few seasons since moving to the Goulburn Valley from the Riverina.
Answer is a pineapple
Last Saturday night’s $100 000 preludes — and the subsequent draw — for tomorrow night’s $750 000 Miracle Mile at Menangle has thrown up more questions than answers about Australasia’s greatest sprint race.
New Zealand champion Lazarus and Goulburn Valley hope Lennytheshark, the defending champion, had to be given special entry into the race after finishing third and fifth respectively in their leadup races.
Lazarus finished third to Tiger Tara and Lenny fifth to Anything For Love who set a new Australasian mark of 1:48.7 for the 1609 m trip.
This took 0.1 of a second off the record held jointly by Goulburn Valley-bred Jilliby Kung Fu who equalled the previous mark of 1:48.8 in winning the Chariots Of Fire two weeks ago to qualify for the Miracle Mile.
Lazraus and Lenny have fared poorly in the draw for tomorrow night’s showdown, drawing barriers seven and 10 respectively.
Jilliby Kung Fu is drawn a little more favourably in barrier five, but has other noted speedsters Anything For Love (barrier three) and Tiger Tara (barrier one) inside him.
While Shepparton pacer San Carlo failed to get a berth in the Miracle Mile, he still put in a creditable run in his prelude, finishing only 7.4 m from Tiger Tara.
San Carlo goes around in the $100 000 Bohemia Crystal Free For All tomorrow night at Menangle, but again has had no luck in the draw, coming up with barrier nine.
But discounting draws, his trainer Steve O’Dongohue has had a little more luck with Shakahari who ended up getting a run in the $200 000 Ladyship Mile tomorrow night.
Shakahari was only a second emergency for the lead-up qualifying race last Saturday night at Menangle, but ended up getting a run and finished fourth, beaten 7 m by Carlas Pixel. But Shakahari, too, has had no luck in the draw, coming from barrier 10.
Lennytheshark’s trainer David Aiken has Higher than an eagle contesting the $200 000 NSW Derby at the meeting, but again he has not had the best of the draw with barrier six.
More than a Pass mark
Kyabram-trained pacer Brallos Pass was rewarded for some recent consistent form with a track recordbreaking win in the Albury Pacing Cup last Saturday night.
The Mark Watson-trained fiveyear-old was driven a treat by Ellen Tormey to claim the $14 500, 2170 m feature.
Tormey had the son of Major In Art in the one-one sit for most of the trip and Brallos Pass pulled away in the home stretch to beat fellow Victorian, the Josh Aikentrained and Kima Frenning-driven favourite, Audi Hare by more than 8 m with the Leeton-trained Medal Of Honour filling the minor placing.
Brallos Pass, the $3.50 second elect, pulled out final sectionals of 28.7 and 28.9 with his 1:56.6 mile rate slicing a decent 1.2 sec off the track record of 1:58.2 set by Rocking late last year.
Brallos Pass was coming off second placings at Melton at his previous two starts.
Owned by former Wyunaites Mal and Neil Lennie, Brallos Pass has now won 13 of his 45 starts with 21 placings for more than $217 000 in prizemoney.
Leaving a Legacy
The boys at Tongala cheered home trotter Dynamic Legacy to his second win on Tuesday at Maryborough.
Contesting a T1 Only class trot and driven by Byrneside horseman Damian Wilson, Dynamic Legacy is trained by Michael Watt who had the six-year-old cherry ripe for the engagement.
Dynamic Legacy is a son of the Niota stud-based trotting stallion Great Success and was having his 16th trip to the races which have now produced two wins and three placings.
Dynamic Legacy rated a career best 2:02.8 for the 2190 m trip with some smart closing sectionals which gave him a 1 m win over the favourite Next Thru.
One for Threepeat
Kyabram trainer Bruce Rose hasn’t wasted any time getting Threepeat into the winner’s circle.
The recent stable addition from the Riverina had a second and a third from six starts over the border prior to making his debut for Rose at the Echuca Cup meeting when he put in an eye-catching run to finish second.
On the strength of that run he was well fancied in a C0 Only event last week at Shepparton and duly delivered.
Driven by Nathan Jack, Threepeat took the lead early before Jack handed up with a little more than a lap to run and he finished strongly to beat the fast-finishing Barry Gaskett-trained and Scott Stewartdriven roughie An Alliance with pacesetter Crookwell Jake sticking on well for third for trainer Ross McKellar and reinsman Ryan Duffy.
More than just a Kiss
Euroa horseman David Jack’s recent hot run continued last week with wins at Bendigo on Wednesday and Shepparton on Thursday.
At Bendigo Jack won with twoyear-old filly Major Kiss who got the better of training mate and pacesetter Ida Thoughtso, making her race debut for trainer-driver Cameron Maggs.
The pair ran some time too, with a 1:58.4 mile rate comprising closing sectionals of 28.9 and 29.8.
Major Kiss and Ida Thoughtso are contesting tonight’s $20 000 Two Year Old Classic at Melton, but have to overcome second two draws.
At Shepparton Jack produced comeback trotter Whistlejacket for a win in a notable training feat.
The five-year-old powerfullybuilt son of Major In Art was having his first start since September 2016, but with successive wins at Bendigo and Cranbourne before going amiss had shown he had his fair share of ability.
Jack wasn’t afraid to take Whistlejack to the death seat with 1000 m to run and he pulled clear of his rivals at the business end with some solid closing sectionals.
Jack explained that firstly a curved hock had put Whistlejack into the spelling paddock and just when he was winning that battle an abscess further delayed his comeback.
Scorching double
Avenel horseman Josh Aiken was popular with stable punters in particular after winning the final two races at Shepparton last week.
Aiken caused an upset with the pacer he now trains Im Scorching saluting fist-up for the stable in a three-year-old race at odds of 14/1 and then buttered up with Sanna Cruza who was a 4/1 chance in the final event for C1 Only class pacers.
Both won impressively, particularly the ultra consistent Sanna Cruza, trained by David Aiken, who posted a meeting best mile rate of 1:56.8 winning over the 1690 m trip.
Sanna Cruza, a four-year-old mare by Art Major, has not finished further back than fourth in her past 14 runs which have produced four wins, six seconds, two thirds and two fourths.
Im Scorching, a three-year-old filly also by Art Major, was having her fifth start, but had indicated she had her share of ability with a third at Kilmore in May as a two-yearold.
Two for Gav and Lance
Josh Aiken wasn’t the only horseman to land a double last week at Shepparton.
Ace reinsman Gavin Lang and Lance Justice also double dipped.
Lang partnered Seymour-trained Amelia Holmes to victory in a C0 Only class race and was also in the sulky behind the Justice-trained Rishi in winning a C3-C4 class race at prohibited odds.
The Bill Morgan-trained Amelia Holmes certainly deserved her win as she had run thirds at her previous three starts.
Lightly raced the five-year-old Village Jolt mare has a record of two wins and six placings from the 13 starts.
Apart from winning with Rishi, Justice was in the winner’s circle as the trainer of Seize Power who was reined to victory at nice odds by star concession reinswoman Kima Frenning.
The Secret is out
Extra smart trotter Dark Secret made a winning return to the track for Ardmona trainer Donna Castles and reinsman Doc Wilson in a T0 Only class event at Maryborough on Monday.
The son of Bad Boy Truscott just staved off a late bid by the Mick Blackmore-trained and John Caldow-driven Rory McHinson to notch the victory in his first outing as a four-year-old.
Dark Secret was having his 11th start, but matched it with some of the best three-year-olds in the land last season which included a third placing to the classy Deltasun and Garshaway in the Vicbred Super Series final for three-year-old male trotters.
Rory McHinson turned in another strong effort at his third trip to the races.
Named after popular Kyabramite Roy Hindson who has been battling cancer, Rory McHinson finished third on debut at Cobram on January 18, then improved further for a second at Melton on February 5 before Monday’s effort when he fought gamely down the home straight to get within a neck of Dark Secret after looking to be struggling on the home turn.
By Muscle Mass out of the former smart S Js Photo racemare Whitney Grace, Rory McHinson is a huge gelding with some breeding on his side.
He is a half brother of the former top Andy Gath-trained trotter Elegant Image, a winner of 22 races and more than $400 000 in prizemoney.
