Cups collection: David Moran won the trotters and pacers cups at Cobram.
Shepparton reinsman David Moran had a day out at the Cobam Cup meeting last Sunday with a driving treble which included wins in the two feature events.
He claimed the pacers and trotters cups and produced a driving treble in three successive races.
He made a one-act affair of the Cobram Trotters Cup on the Brent Lilley-trained Kyvalley Hotspur to kick off the treble.
A six-year-old gelding by Muscle Hill, Kyvalley Hotspur was sent to the lead two laps out by Moran and then proceeded to run his rivals ragged over the long journey with some impressive final sectionals which included a 28.1 final split.
That was why he had nearly 20m to spare over the runner-up Aldebaran Keepa, the $3.20 favourite who quinellaed the race for Lilley, with the grey Blue Coman filling the minor placing.
It was a case of first time lucky for Moran who was having his first drive on the trotter, who has now won 12 times with 11 minor placings for prizemoney earnings topping $192,000.
Moran then struck immediately with the Isabel Walsh-trained pair Repelling and Invitation Only.
Repelling was put into the race a lap out and he proved too classy for his rivals after singling out with the pacemaker Pappa Leo and getting the better of that pacer in the concluding stages.
In contrast to Repelling’s win, which was expected by the majority of punters, it wasn’t the case with Invitation Only who drifted in the betting to a 22/1 shot on the tote before winning the pacers cup.
A five-year-old son of Bettors Delight, Invitation Only was having his first start for Walsh and only his sixth Australian start, five of these at Menangle and one at Melton without a win.
Invitation Only settled on the back of the pacemaker and favourite Earl Of Pembroke in the run and lost ground temporarily on the home bend before rallying on the sprint lane in the straight to nab victory over the top fancy with the Craig Turnbull-trained and Abbey Turnbull-driven Hiranya finishing the race off nicely for third.
Invitation Only pulled out 28.6 and 28.3 final sectionals for a smart 1:57.5 mile rate for the 2678m marathon.
Taking it to the Max
Shepparton reinsman Nathan Jack said it wasn’t a pre-race plan to steal the $75,000 Bendigo Pacing Cup on rejuvenated pacer Max Delight last Saturday night.
Jack set the David Aiken-trained star alight 400m after the start and it proved the winning move.
When making his move Max Delight wrestled the lead from the early leader Serg Blanco and dictated the terms for the rest of the marathon 2650m trip.
In a two-horse war to the finishing line, Max Delight held off the Steve Duffy-trained Serg Blanco, driven by his son Ryan, to win by a head with Hurricane Harley 4m away third.
Jack said he had no preconceived plans to make the move when he did, but when the tempo had surprisingly eased so early in the race he decided to take off.
‘‘Normally the early tempo doesn’t slacken off that early in a race, so when it did I thought it was my chance so I took it,’’ the master reinsman said.
The win continued Max Delight’s recent winning spree which started at Young when he won the $60,000 Cherry Cup on December 1 and then followed that win up in the Sokyola Sprint at Melton on December 23.
Max Delight’s latest win, the 26th of his 102 starts, has boosted his prizemoney to within $60,000 of the $1million prizemoney milestone.
He gets the chance to narrow the gap further, even reach the magical monetary milestone in tomorrow night’s $75,000 Shepparton Gold Cup.
He’s certainly cl-Arcee
Finley owner Ashley Haynes is justifiably proud of his trotter Arcee Pheonix who claimed some huge scalps in a dashing win in the Aldebaran Park Maori Mile at Bendigo last Saturday night.
The five-year-old Trixton gelding, driven by his trainer-driver Chris Svanosio, utilised his barrier two draw to lead over the 1609m trip and run his rivals ragged in record 1:53.8 mile rate time.
He accounted for the second placegetter and recent Inter Dominion runner-up Mufasa Metro by 9m with the odds favourite Queen Elida 1.10m further astern in third place.
A blistering 56.1 last half gave his rivals little chance of running him down.
The race was the first leg of the six races in the Auoroa Australis series with the next race at the Ballarat Cup eeting tomorrow night week.
Arcee Phoenix collected a cheque for $42,750 for his latest win which has taken his prizemoney to $230,375 from 10 wins and nine placings from 27 starts.
Haynes is now waiting on a half brother by Majestic Son to be offered
at the yearling sales and also has a full yearling brother whose bound to attract a lot of interest.
Pitt is perfect
Popular farrier Ray Sutton kicked off a big night for reinsman Mark Pitt at last week’s Ballarat meeting.
Pitt drove the first two Suttontrained winners, trotter Stick With Me and pacer Onecrowdedhour, but his night was far from done.
He then teamed up with trainer Clayton Tonkin to win with Champagne Delight and also the Emma Stewart-prepared Our Storm Girl to make it four winners from his only four drives at the meeting.
While the two Sutton runners were driven for the first time by Pitt he was in the sulky and completed a hat-trick over a space of two years with his win on Champagne Delight.
Th Bettors Delight five-year-old was having her first outing and her third since 2022.
Our Storm Girl, a three-year-old American Ideal filly, was debuting for Stewart and won easily.
He’s certainly not Crook
Consistent trotter Crookwell Eyes made it five wins from his past 10 starts when he saluted at last week’s Boort meeting.
In those other five starts he has finished second three times and third twice.
Prepared by Shepparton horseman Steve Duffy, Crookwell Eyes was driven to his latest win by his son Ryan, who has now driven the pacer to three of his seven career wins, with all these wins coming under Duffy’s training.
Crookwell Eyes is a real family affair with Steve’s mother Lorraine and her husband Bryan Johnstone owning the five-year-old son of Lawman.
Dashing Donna
Ardmona horsewoman Donna Castles certainly made a flying start to the Cobram Cup meeting.
Castles snared the first two races on the program with Lils Nightmare and Cheeki Philtra, both pacers she trains and drives.
Castles drove Lils Nightmare hard early from a wide front row draw to take up the front running position and was never threatened with nearly eight metres to spare over the runner-up, outsider Diamondsnblue with Rockets Mate filling the minor placing.
A six-year-olld gelding by Rocknoll Hanover it was Lils Nigfhtmare’s 10th win from 76 starts with 16 minor placings which have produced $57,000 in prizemoney.
Bonny mare Cheeki Philtra made it three wins in her past six starts with two minor placings when she proved too tough for her rivals
It was also a case of 13 being a lucky number as it was her 13th win from 109 starts which have also produced 31 minor placings.
Back in the zone
Smart trotting made Focus made a successful return to racing at the Cobram Cup meeting, notching her second win in dominant style.
Driven by Stacey Towers for trainer Mark Lee The Creatine four-yearold mare unleashed a powerful finishing burst to beat the runner-up Bacardi Wood by nearly 10m with Gil Favour edging out Starlight Storm for third place.
Focus has shown plenty of ability in her 16 starts to date with a third in the Shepparton Trotters Oaks to the New Zealander High Energy and second in the Home Grown Classic final to the Rochester-trained Shesawish in her resume.
She ran some time in her latest win, producing a 2:01.3 mile rate for the 2170m trip.
Focus is out of the Wagon Apollo mare Miss Imromptu, who won seven races and has left five winners including Our Quick Cash and No Transactions.
A moment for Bronski
When reinswoman Mel Thackeray reflects on her driving career down the track no doubt Bronksi Moment will get a thought.
Trained by her hubby Danny, Bronski Moment scored his second win in his past five starts when he saluted at Cobram.
Mel put the handlebars down at the start and Bronksi Moment was never headed, beating the Jeff Gledhill-trained and driven consistent veteran Fantasy Beach with the Susan Hunter-prepared Twilight Beach filling the minor placing.
Bronski Moment’s mile rate of 1:58.3 was a PB in his nine wins to date and was Mel’s 11th win in the sulky.
It finishes with a kiss
In what was a big day for Goulburn Valley trainers and drivers the Cobam meeting concluded with another district success.
Shepparton trainer Wayne Potter produced hot favourite Rocknroll Kiss for a resounding win, much to the delight of punters who supported the pacer into a $1.30 favourite.
Those who ‘bought’ their winnings didn’t have too many concerns with Rocknroll Kiss spreadeagling his rivals over the concluding stages to beat the runner-up Eagle Major by more than 16m with Dont Waste Time filling the minor placing.
Rocknroll Kiss who has now won three of his only four starts and was second in the other certainly gives the impression he could be headed for a lot more wins.
Coming up
Today: Charlton (d), Melton (n)
Tomorrow: Shepparton (n)
Sunday: Hamilton (d)
Monday: Maryborough (d)
Tuesday: Swan Hill (n)
Wednesday: Bendigo (n)
Thursday: Cobram (n), Cranbourne (n)
Lethal combo: Nathan Jack and David Aiken will be out to make it two straight Shepparton cups after winning last year with Cranbourne.
Can the Max Delight fairytale comeback story continue in tomorrow night’s $75,000 Neatline Homes
Shepparton Gold Cup?
The Avenel-trained pacer is one of three Goulburn Valley prepared pacers contesting the time-honoured feature which has been won by some great pacers since the inaugural event in 1959.
Max Delight certainly wouldn’t be out of place on the cup winners roll and a win would take his prizemoney earnings to more than $1 million.
Virtually written off as a serious racehorse two years ago after a winless 18-month period between April 2022 and October 2023 which involved 37 winless starts, the eightyear-old son of Bettors Delight has bounced back in recent months to capture his early career form.
But Nathan Jack, the man who has driven him to his last three wins, has warned punters tomorrow night’s assignment is another step up.
‘‘He is racing really well, but he has a second row draw and some very talented rivals to contend with, so things will need to go his way,’’ Jack said.
But Jack said he was still happy to be driving Max Delight and wouldn’t swap him for any other the runner in the race.
Jack is plumping for Curly James from the draw as the pacer to beat.
‘‘But it’s a very good field and every runner could win it, it’s that wide open.’’
I’m sticking with Max Delight on his current form and rate Curly James and Hurricane Harley and Sydney visitor Kanena Provlima, Serg Blanco and Tapio as the major threats.
If Curly James leads Hurricane Harley, who has drawn directly behind him, could get a sweet run, while Kanena Provlima broke at his last start in the Shirley Turnbull Memorial at Bathurst when looking a big danger.
? Gus Underwood selects: Max Delight 1, Curly James 2, Hurricane Harley 3, Kanena Provlima 4.
In hot form: Driver Ryan Duffy and Serg Blanco are after more country cups success.
Can either Curly James or Serg Blanco join the great Lochinvar Art to become a home town winner of the Shepparton Gold Cup?
Lochinvar Art is the last Shepparton-trained pacer to claim the cup, when on a winning spree in 2021 when he was he was almost unbeatable.
His trainer-driver David Moran gets the chance to win another cup tomorrow night when he partners the Courtney Laker-trained Curly James in the $75,000 feature.
And Curly James has the right draw — barrier one — to give a lof of cheek in the race.
Three starts ago in October Curly James upstaged one of Australia’s best pacers Catch A Wave over 2240m at Melton and then finished second to the talented Like A Wild Fire in a sprint race at Melton on November 25 at his last start.
Whether he is ready to tackle the testing 2690m of the cup firstup will have doubters, but the pacer’s young trainer and experienced reinsman can’t be discounted and Curly James should be in a winning position for a long way.
Former Kiwi pacer Serg Blanco has experienced trainer Steve Duffy guiding his career and he has shown he is a serious racehorse.
He beat all but the rejuvenated Max Delight in the Bendigo Pacing Cup last Saturday night and if he gets a touch of luck from his second row draw will make a bold bid to snare one of the most sought after country cups in the land.
