On song: District trainers and drivers enjoyed a good week at the races.
The disappointment for trainer Russell Jack having to scratch Just Hope from the $150,000 Victoria Oaks final at Melton last Saturday night was temporarily forgotten in the next race when School Captain claimed the Group Two $50,000 Home Grown Classic for two-yearold colts and geldings.
Having only his second start the Jack-prepared son of Captaintreacherous produced a scorching 1:52.5 mile rate for the 1720m sprint trip in an all-theway win.
After his impressive second to The Lost Storm in his heat of the Classic at his previous start in his race debut at Bendigo, School Captain had plenty of support to beat that pacer in the final — and that’s the way it unfolded.
Reinsman Nathan Jack was able to find the front on School Captain and with the Mark Pitt-driven and Emma Stewart-trained The Lost Storm forced to race outside him for the entire trip School Captain, who produced a 54.8 last half, proved too good at the finish.
Pitt also had to play second fiddle in the Victoria Oaks final, piloting the Stewart-trained Petillante into the runner-up position behind the Kate Gath-driven stablemate Encipher.
Pitt also had to be content with a runner-up finish on another of the Stewart team Our Millionaire in the Group Three Popular Alm Free For All, but he did get a winner at the meeting on the Stewart-trained Hes Ideal, who made it seven wins from nine starts.
Another Goulburn Valley reinsman, David Moran, drove the second placegetter, the Stewartprepared Honolua Bay, in the $300,000 Victoria Cup.
In the same race Nathan Jack piloted the New Zealander Copy That into fourth place behind the winner Rock N Roll Doo for trainer-driver Michael Stanley.
Moran also had to be content with a second-placed finish on the Stewart-prepared Ladies In Red, beaten by the stablemate and the Benstud-bred and owned Tough Tilly in the Group Three Make Mine Cullen feature.
First triumph for Hill
Northern Rivers Equine-based trotting stallion What The Hill produced his first Victorian winner when Triumph Stride saluted at last week’s Maryborough meeting.
Triumph Stride was making his debut and led throughout to beat The Other Thing and Jansu.
What The Hill is a son of the great Muscle Hill and won $1.3 million during his racing career.
Dances busts a move
A speedy start paved the way for another win for consistent trotting mare Dances who waltzed to an all-the-way victory at last week’s Bendigo meeting.
Trainer-driver Donna Castles sent the six-year-old daughter of Bacardi Lindy straight to the front from barrier six and she led throughout over the 1650m trip to hold out the fast-finishing Kyvalley Surfrider.
It was Dance’s seventh win in 70 starts which have also produced 15 seconds and six thirds.
Hoofnote: Dances followed up her Bendigo win with a second placing at Wednesday night’s Echuca meeting.
Glory for Gledhill
Coomboona trainer Mark Gledhill bobbed up with a winner at Ouyen on Sunday.
Gledhill produced Our Christiana who led, handed up mid-race and then sprint laned to victory for reinswoman Ellen Tormey.
Bred and owned by Gledhill, Our Christiano is by is by the prolific winning Christian Cullen stallion Alto Christiano.
The three-year-old had indicated a coming win with a second to Reckless Dream at his previous start at Shepparton the week before which was his second win.
Nathan Jack also drove a winner at the meeting, steering the Jeremy Seal-trained pacer Shazzam to an all-the-way win.
But the Jacks missed out in the feature event at Ouyen finishing fourth with two-year-old Erupt Stride and seventh with Will He Pike in the $25,000 Northern Regional Championship final which was won by the Emma Stewart-trained Ultimate Levi.
Wagga invasion
David Moran drove a lot of winners on the old Wagga track and he’s chalking up his share on the new Riverina Raceway.
Moran produced a driving double at last Friday’s Wagga meeting, winning on the promising Viking, who he trains, and Red Hot Assassin, who is prepared by Greg Fleming.
Viking put up a big effort to win after being trapped wide early and restrained to the rear of the field.
Those who had taken the long odds-on about his chances weren’t on good terms with themselves heading for the judge, but he dug deep to score a gutsy win.
A son of Rock N Roll Heaven, Viking has had eight starts and has now won three of his past four starts.
Red Hot Assassin camped on the leader Woody Lombo throughout the run and wore down that pacer in the concluding stages.
It was a good training feat by Fleming as the three-year-old son of Fourstarzzz Shark was having his first start since February and his 10th career start, which have now produced two wins, two seconds and two thirds.
Starzzz shining
Retiring Merrigum Football Netball Club president Greg Pell got a big kick out of Holi Starzzz’s win at Tuesday night’s Bendigo meeting.
The four-year-old daughter of Fourstarzzz Shark not only posted her eighth win, but set herself a PB mile rate.
The David Miles-trained and Greg Sugars-driven Holi Starzzz rated 1:53.7, which included 56.5 last half for the 1650m trip.
Sugars drove Holi Starzzz hard from barrier two to hold the lead and she kept all challengers at bay in the run to the judge.
Pell and his wife Jenny bred the mare, who is out of the prolific winning Art Major mare Paintball, who has also left the talented The Pantheist, a winner of nine races and owned in the same interests as Holi Starzzz.
Pell has announced he is stepping down as president of the Kyabram Football League Bulldogs after two stints at the helm totalling nine years.
Soaking up winners
Rochester and district trainers were to the fore at the rain-drenched Echuca meeting on Wednesday night at the Frank Ryan Raceway.
Rochester trainers Neville Pangrazio and Mark Thompson and Elmore’s Keith Cotchin produced winners before the meeting was called off after race seven on the nine-event card.
Pangrazio brought the four-yearold Artsplace mare Cashflow Cassie with a well-timed run to down the favourite Baccarat, who was attempting a hat-trick of wins.
Cashflow Cassie had indicated a coming win at her previous start with an eye-catching second placing at Shepparton on October 2.
Although, this was only her fourth win in 51 starts she has also chalked up 16 minor placings and accumulated more than $44,000 in prizemoney.
Thompson produced the talented pacer Missed The Truth for a tough win.
Reinswoman Ellen Tormey sent Missed The Truth to the spot outside the pacemaker for the last two laps and, although, temporarily headed in sight of the judge fought back doggedly to get the win in arguably the run of the meeting.
A three-year-old gelding by top sire Somebeachsomewhere, Missed The Truth has had 19 starts which have produced five wins, seven seconds and four thirds, which have produced more than $49,000 in prizemoney.
Elmore mentor Cotchin took only two races to get pacer Denny Rocks into the winner’s circle this campaign.
Driven by Shepparton-raised reinsman Ryan Duffy, the threeyear-old Rock N Roll Heaven gelding resumed after a long spell at Kilmore on October 3 when he finished fourth to the 100-1 shot Flowertop Mountain.
Before spelling Denny Rocks had won at Melton on April 9, so has now won two of his past three starts.
