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Shepparton News 10-01-20

Maggs wheels are spinning

EUROA HORSEMAN HAS A COUPLE OF DAYS TO REMEMBER IN CART DRIVING FOUR WINNERS IN SUCCESSION

Picture: Cobram Harness Racing Club

When you’re hot: Cameron Maggs steers Scorcha to a brilliant debut victory at a smoky Cobram.

It didn’t equal or better Damian Wilson’s New Year’s feat at Albury of driving five winners from five drives, but it came close.

Euroa horseman Cameron Maggs took three pacers on a four-hour trip to Temora last Saturday night — and they all won.

But there is more.

Maggs then bobbed up in the first race at Cobram on Sunday and was successful again.

Four drives, four winners — all in succession.

At Temora Maggs won with Rollecks ($1.85), Salvator Mundy ($1.40) and Ideal Suspect ($2).

But it was his Cobram winner, three-year-old Scorcha, that generated the most interest of his four winners.

Trained by Chiltern horseman Peter Romero Scorcha is a full brother to the former Mark Purdontrained champion Smolda, being by Courage Under Fire out of the Safely Kept mare Under The Mattress.

Smolda, who won more than $2.4 million, including the 2016 Inter Dominion final in Perth, and Scorcha were bred by Wangaratta’s Paul Blackshaw.

Pekin strikes gold

Surprise, surprise.

When you drive a winner at odds of nearly 100/1 there is a strong chance it would be your longest priced winner.

Ever.

But Stanhope horseman Gary Pekin is an exception.

After last Monday’s meeting at Boort Pekin has now done it three times.

At Boort Pekin drove a pacer he trains Cresco Goldigger to victory — at tote odds of 94/1.

But Pekin revealed after the win he had in fact bettered that feat twice in his career as a reinsman.

‘‘I drove a horse I trained called Quite Amazing to a win at Moonee Valley 20 years ago and he paid $159 for the win which was a record for the longest priced winner,’’ Pekin said.

‘‘I also drove a trotter at Maryborough a few years ago who paid $116 for the win.’’

Pekin was not surprised with Cresco Goldigger’s maiden win.

‘‘We got an offer of $30 000 for him after he won a trial at Shepparton which we knocked back, but we have had some problems with him,’’ Pekin said.

‘‘He has always worked at home a lot better than he has raced, but we put a (lugging) pole on him and it seems to have done the trick. We also thought he would he suited by the small Boort track, so it turned out to be a pretty good day.’’

Cresco Goldigger, who is a fouryear-old gelding by Sportswriter, was having only his sixth start and was driven a perfectly judged race by Pekin to claim the lion’s share of the generous $12 000 offered for the maiden race.

Secret is exposed

Smart trotter Dark Secret appreciated a drop in class to give his rivals a trouncing at the Cobram Cup meeting.

The Donna Castles-trained and driven six-year-old son of Bad Boy

Truscott had more than 30 m to spare at the finishing post after an aggressive front running drive from Castles in a 44-55 class trot.

Dark Secret has always had a generous share of talent, but had been winless for 10 starts before his Cobram success, but they were mainly in better class fields.

Punters were up to date in the class drop and supported Dark Secret into a $2.50 favourite which vindicated their confidence.

Jumping at Shadow

One of the certainties at Cobram looked to be the Laura Crosslandtrained and driven Shadow Chevron in a 52-54 class pace.

But just as punters who had supported the Shadow Play gelding were congratulating themselves when he had kicked well clear of his rivals in the home straight everything fell apart.

Shadow Chevron started to veer up the track and then, even worse, broke stride allowing the Steve Duffy-trained and Ryan Duffydriven outsider Spring Delight to zoom through to victory.

Spring Delight was a 22/1 shot on the tote in claiming his fourth win in 13 trips to the races.

Win is no prank

A successful former partnership was renewed with the win of threeyear-old trotter Justatrixta at Bendigo last Friday night.

Josh Aiken drove Justatrixta to victory for his trainer-father David Aiken in his first start for the Avenel horseman and only his third start.

The win revived some halcyon days of a few years back experienced by the Aikens and Finley owners and breeders Ashley Haynes and Chris Shaw.

Justatrixta was bred by Haynes and Shaw and sold to current owner Benstud as a yearling.

Justatrixta is from the same family of Group One winners Eljaykay Phoenix and Princess Phoenix, who were bred and raced by Haynes and Shaw and trained by David Aiken.

Justatrixta’s dam, the Sundon mare Justa Phoenix, won several races for trainer Chris Lang.

Justatrixta raced outside the pacemaker for the last 1100 m, but was still too good for his rivals, holding out the favourite Sky Eagle in the run to the judge.

Justatrixta was one of three winners on the night for the Aikens who also won with Blingittothemax and Titan Bromac.

Clive Countess cash

Last week’s Kilmore meeting proved a happy hunting ground for Goulburn Valley horsemen.

Trainers Clive Dalton and David Aiken enjoyed wins as did reinsman Josh Aiken.

Dalton produced the four-yearold trotting mare Imperial Countess for her maiden win with top reinsman Chris Alford in the sulky.

Although missing a top five finish in her six previous starts punters were well aware of her ability and sent her out a $2.60 favourite.

Dalton just missed out on a training double with another of his trotters Nickys Son finishing a close second in his race.

David Aiken produced Roll With

It for his 13 win with concession reinsman Ryan Sanderson doing the driving honours.

Josh Aiken wasn’t popular with early quaddie punters at the meeting, reining the Lyn Meirciciatrained Art Finest to victory in the final leg at 24/1.

Can Harley wait

A number of siblings to yearlings from the Northern Rivers Equine draft for this year’s Australian Pacing Gold Melbourne sale, to be held on February 2, have been successful at racetracks around the world recently.

Hurricane Harley, a winner of three races at Melton and runnerup in the Victorian 4 and 5YO Championship, and Mango Stride, a 1:55.4 winner at Menangle, both have an Art Major half-brother entered.

None Bettor, who has won 12 of his 18 starts in America including the $200 000 Battle of Lake Eerie and $100 000 Great North East Series and $US375 970 in stakes and who took a mile mark of 1:48.8 at The Meadowlands, will be represented by an Art Major half-sister as Lot 158.

Another US export, Our Little General, who has won five times at Yonkers Raceway last year, earned $US115 810 and who boasts a mile record of 1:51.8, and the recent Melton winner Kasbah Kid have a Bettors Delight half-sister in the sale, Lot 153.

Stefsbest, a Gloucester Park winner in 1:54.7 earlier this month, has a Captaintreacherous half-sister entered.

Rocknroll Icon, who won at Melton

in October in a career-best 1:53, has a Bettors Delight halfsister (Lot 189), while the dual Tamworth winner Shez Got Bling is represented by a Captaintreacherous half-brother as Lot 127.

In an Ideal world

American Ideal, who received a full book of 200 mares in his first season at Northern Rivers Equine, Kyabram, has finished third behind only Bettors Delight and Somebeachsomewhere — on the North American All Age Sires money-winning list with almost $16 million.

He finished fourth in the twoyear-old premiership and fifth on the three-year-old table.

Closer to home, American Ideal was represented by important winners on both sides of the Tasman last month.

Copy That, an American Ideal colt out of a Live Or Die mare, downed a top field in the Group Two $46 000 Alabar 3YO Classic in 1:55 at Auckland on Inter Dominion Final night.

Another American Ideal colt, Soho Hamilton, took out the Group Three $30 000 Caduceus Club 3YO Cup at Cranbourne, while Just Deal It, a New Zealand-bred daughter of American Ideal, won the Listed Forever Gold Mares Classic in a new mark of 1:53.4 at Albion Park.

Coming up

Today: Melton (n). Tomorrow: Shepparton (n).

Sunday: Hamilton (d).

Monday: Warragul (d).

Tuesday: Bendigo (n).

Wednesday: Mildura (n).

Thursday: Kilmore (n).

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