Picture: Stuart McCormick
Three in the pocket: David Moran, pictured winning on Lochinvar Art, drove three winners at Shepparton on Friday.
Shepparton trainer Russell Jack is chasing another big pay day after producing Captains Queen to claim a heat of the APG Bullion for twoyear-old fillies at Menangle on Tuesday.
A daughter of Captaintreacherous, Captains Queen was sent to the front at barrier rise by ace reinswoman Amanda Turnbull and held off a determined Miss Ex in a 1:55.3 mile rate time to qualify for the $125,000 final on April 24.
The other fillies heat was also won by a daughter of Captaintreacherous, Eye Can Fly in 1:55.7.
Captains Queen has now won three of her four starts with a second placing behind stablemate Just Hope in the recent Bathurst $100,000 Tiara final the only time she has not been in the winner’s stall.
In the two-year-old colts and geldings Bullion heats trots fans could have been watching a future star in the Jarrod Alchin-trained and Cameron Hart-driven My Ultimate Byron who blitzed his rivals in 1:53.9 mile rate time when having his second start.
Murchison horseman Shaun Kittel continued his recent run of success when pacer The Last Chance saluted last week at Bendigo.
In nine starts for Kittel The Last Chance has now won three times, been runner-up three times and third once.
A six-year-old gelding by Interdominion winner Mr Feelgood The Last Chance had to be used up early by reinsman Michael Bellman to take over the front running.
But he proved up to the challenge in keeping Major Watson and Lets Make Tracks at bay in the drive to the finishing line.
The win was popular with punters as he was a $2.40 favourite.
The win came three days after Kittel had produced Daylight At Dawn for a strong win at Echuca.
Promising Kyabram-trained trotter Senitas Strength made a triumphant return to racing as a three year-old last week at Bendigo.
Having her first start since finishing an agonising second to Baglez in the $100,000 Group One Super Sires final for two-year-old fillies in late December, Senitas Strength gave a flawless display to record her second win from 10 starts.
Driven by James Herbertson Senitas Strength posted a slick 2:02.2 mile rate for the 2150m trip which included a slick 58-second last half.
Trainer of the Muscle Mass filly Mick Blackmore now has is eyes on the NSW Trotters Oaks early next month with the filly who is bred and owned by Kyabram trots stalwart Darrel Pell.
Four-year-old Art Major gelding Spy Major provided a leg of a driving treble for reinsman David Moran on Friday at Shepparton.
It wasn’t the first time the Kasey Kent-trained pacer had raced at Shepparton — he finished second at a meeting in December 2020 when prepared by NSW horseman John McCarthy — but this was his first start for Kent.
Moran made a winning move before the bell lap on Spy Major, circumnavigating the field to take up the front running before cruising home to beat the Greg Lewis trained and Abbey Turnbull-driven pacemaker and last-start winner Junior Warfare.
Spy Major, winless in his previous 17 starts was sent to Kent to try and collect the Vicbred bonus before heading for a racing career in Western Australia where his owners live.
Apart from Spy Major, Moran also partnered the Maddie Bond trained Our Reactor and the Mick Carbone-prepared Lets Make Tracks to win at nice odds.
The long haul from Goulburn to Shepparton didn’t go unnoticed by punters last week.
Trainer-driver Sam Hewitt made the lengthy trip with Red Rock to contest a maiden three-year-old race with the purpose of trying to collect the Vicbred bonus.
The Pet Rock gelding was sent out a $2 favourite and didn’t disappoint, getting the better of the pacemaker Elli Joh in the concluding stages after a quiet drive from Hewitt.
It was Red Rock’s debut, but he had shown up at three Canberra trials.
Byrneside horseman Damian Wilson, who has been enjoying his share of success of late, reined home two winners at nice odds last week at Shepparton.
He produced the improving trotter Karlarney Heidi, whom he trains, for her fifth win.
Wilson gave the six-year-old daughter of Bad Boy Truscott, a 10/1 shot, every chance in the oneone sit and she went to the line untouched.
In the previous race Wilson was also in the winner’s circle, reining the Tongala-trained Argie Bargy, a 5/1 shot, to his third win and second success this season.
The Gary Merkel-prepared sixyear-old son of Artistic Fella was able to hold the inside running from his barrier two draw and led throughout to beat the John Newberry-trained Feeling Enerjetic and Rosie Weidenbach-prepared and Olivia Weidenbach-driven Good lookin Rooster.
The Wayne Potter-trained Better Day landed his third win from 11 starts with a dominant display at Shepparton.
Driver Josh Duggan gave Bettor Day the run of the race and extricated the four-year-old Betterthancheddar gelding from traffic on the home turn into clear running before going on to score handsomely over the Matt Higgins trained Lilnova and the favourite Hook Eye Joh.
Better Day, who is out of the eight-time winning Armbro Operative mare Loki rated a PB 1:57.5 for the 1690m trip.
Talk about horses for courses. When the Clive Dalton-trained All woods Sunbeam scored last week at Shepparton it was the Majestic Son five-year-old mare’s seventh win on the track — two of these wins achieved this year and the other five last year.
All woods Sunbeam has also been in the minor placings seven times on the circuit.
Reinsman Josh Aiken settled All woods Sunbeam four back on the pegs before securing a one-one sit before chiming in at the business end to defeat the gallant backmarker Daquiri with Tetra a distant third.
It was All woods Sunbeam’s 11th win along with 20 minor placings in 65 starts.
Imagine the logistics for a trainer preparing for this scenario.
Tasmania trainer Ben Yole had 39 runners at last Friday night’s ninerace program at Launceston.
In one race he had 11 of the 12 runners.
His haul for the night was three winners and seven top three finishes.
It took a woman’s touch to get pacer Son Of Major back to the winner’s stall.
The Martin Zerafa-trained sixyear-old son of Art Major had not won for 13 outings before Abbey Turnbull climbed into the sulky at Maryborough on Monday.
Sent out a $2.70 favourite Son Of Major was driven by Turnbull to a narrow victory which of course was popular with punters.
But those who backed the sixyear-old son of Art Major had some anxious moments as a photo-finish was required to decide the winner.
Ardmona horsewoman Donna Castles made it second time lucky when she drove Good Time Nedra to victory at Shepparton.
The six-year-old daughter of Mr Feelgood finished second to Power Of Faith two starts previously at Shepparton on March 24 when Castles had her first drive on the mare.
Good Time Nedra then lined up at Wagga for a third at her next start on March 30 when driven by her Jindera trainer Lyn Hancock.
Castles was back in the sulky for her second drive on the pacer at Shepparton last Friday and took the pacer from last to first in the concluding stages for a strong win.
Goulburn Valley-trained pacers didn’t snare any of the big money in the Mildura Cup last Saturday night, but performed creditably.
The consistent David Aiken trained Malcolms Rhythm finished fourth from a second row draw behind the winner, the Emma Stewart-trained favourite Mach Dan,
Shepparton horseman Russell Jack’s hope Sonny Weaver finished level with Malcolms Rhythm at the finishing post in a sound performance.
She’s got a bit to go to match her half-brother’s racing feats, but trotter Peregrine Phoenix is providing her Finley owners, local footy club president Ashley Haynes and Chris Shaw with a nice ride at the moment.
The five-year-old Muscle Hill mare, trained by Chris Svanosio, notched her eighth win and first metropolitan class face at Melton last week when driven by Jason Lee.
In the process she beat the shortpriced favourite Sleepee and some other talented trotters in her most significant win to date.
Peregrine Phoenix’s half-brother is Eljaykay Phoenix (by Sundon) who had Group One successes among his 18 wins which produced more than$257,000 in prizemoney.
More to come
Plenty of local success at Wednesday night’s Shepparton meeting which will be expanded on in next week’s column.
Coming up
Today: Ballarat (n).
Tomorrow: Geelong Cup (n).
Monday: Cobram (d).
Tuesday: Ararat (n).
Wednesday: Yarra Valley (d), Mildura (n).
Thursday: Ballarat (n).
