Ace Shepparton reinsman Nathan Jack got a slice of the winning action on Miracle Mile night at Menangle last Saturday night, piloting the brilliant French trotter Callmethebreeze to a runaway win.
The Anton Golino-trained sixyear-old son of Trixton bounced back from an unplaced run in the Australian Trotting Grand Prix on February 24 to run his rivals ragged in the $100,000 Hammerhead Trotters Mile in a front running role.
Callmethebreeze produced a blistering PB 1:53.3 mile rate for the 1609m dash to claim his third win in five starts since arriving in Australia with a $1.5 million earner’s tag.
Unfortunately Victoria’s other main hope in the race Arcee Phoenix went off stride at the start and was never a chance, but made up up ground in the run to finish 25m from the winner.
Jack also piloted the former Avenel-trained pacer Max Delight into third placing in the $100,000 Australian Lighthorse Free-For-All at the meeting.
Shepparton pacer Curly James contested this race and finished sixth for trainer Courtney Laker and reinsman David Moran.
Moran also finished fifth on the pacer he trains, Captain Hammerhead, at the meeting at which Queensland pacer Leap To Fame elevated himself to all-time Australian pacing greats with his audacious win in the Miracle Mile.
With his win Leap To Fame became the only pacer to have completed the Miracle Mile, Inter Dominion and Hunter Cup trifecta in the one season.
Donna Castles was the star of the Wangaratta Cup meeting last Sunday night with a winning double, including the Wangaratta Trotters Cup with consistent mare Berries and cherries.
The seven-year-old mare by Crazed did the heavy lifting in the race, parked for the last two laps outside the leader Baxter, but was up to the challenge in notching her 10th win.
There have also been 22 minor placings which have boosted her prizemoney to nearly $88,000.
The Ardmona horsewoman completed her double in the following race with Lils Nightmare who worked to the front early and defied all challengers in the home straight to be run down.
A six-year-old Rocknroll Hanover gelding Lils Nightmare had won at his previous start at Cobram on March 4 and has now won 12 races and been placed 16 times from 84 starts.
Another Goulburn Valley winner at the Wangaratta meeting was pacing mare Rolling Remona.
The Rosie Weidenbach-trained six-year-old Pet Rock mare made it two wins in her past four starts with her win.
Driven by Kylie Sugars, a recent addition to the GV trotting ranks, Rolling Remona lost an early duel for the lead before settling in the one-one sit.
She then singled out with Blissfull Mind to fight out the finish and proved a little too strong in that duel to notch her ninth win in 60 starts.
The Wangaratta Pacing Cup provided a thrilling finish with the Narrandera-trained pacer Gleneldi Elvis claiming his third country cup win in the new year.
The five-year-old son of Rocknroll Dance got his head out on the line to beat the roughie Morvah and Watdidusaaay in the $12,000 feature .
Trained by former Merrigum girl Ellen Jones (nee Bartley) and driven by her husband Blake, Gleneldi Elvis claimed the Leeton Cup on January 1, the $60,000 Albury Cup on February 16 and has now won seven of his 12 starts in Australia after one win in two starts in New Zealand before crossing the Tasman.
Shepparton horsewoman Bec Bartley proved the fly in the ointment for most quaddie punters when she produced pacer New Yorker for an upset win at last Saturday night’s Bendigo meeting.
The six -year-old Bettors Delight gelding, having his fourth start for Bartley enjoyed the run of the race on the back of the favourite Major Thinker and accepted an inside run in the dash to the judge to account for Kosimo and the Craig Turnbulltrained and Abbey Turnbull-driven Hirayna.
New Yorker won three races when being trained in partnership by Bartley and Steve O’Donoghue, but this was the first time he had saluted with Bartley the sole trainer.
With four top three finishes going into the race since Bartley took over his training he was knocking on the door for another win, but was strangely mainly ignored by punters and was a 40/1 shot.
The win continued a successful winning streak for Bartley who has enjoyed wins with Changeover Girl, Dat Lou and promising young trotter Worth Waiting in recent weeks.
Classy Kyabram-trained trotter Sebastians Boy made an eye-catching return to racing with a dominant win at the Bendigo meeting.
Having his first run since November, Sebastians Boy, driven by James Herberton, raced outside the leader Gee Cee Calder, but put paid to all his rivals on the home bend to go on to an effortless win in meritorious 1:57.8 mile rate time for the 2150m trip.
The Brent Thompson-trained five-year-old is relatively lightly raced, having just 19 starts which have produced seven wins and four minor placings and more than $55,000 in prizemoney.
Shepparton concession reinswoman Tasmyn Potter has had a big week, driving winners at Ballarat and also the Wangaratta Cup meeting.
Potter partnered the Joe Galea -rained Sasscillian to win at last Friday night’s Ballarat meeting.
Potter was able to control the race after taking up the front running position with Sasscillian who raced clear of his rivals to notch his ninth win in 76 starts.
It was the first time Potter had driven the nine-year-old pacer and it was her 21st win .
Potter was back in the winner’s circle again at Sunday’s Wangaratta meeting, partnering the Shepparton trained Miss Arty Miss to her second successive win.
The Paul Tonkin-prepared sixyear-old Art Major mare had saluted at Wagga on March 1 to show she was in form with another impressive win.
Potter settled Miss Arty Miss three back on the outside in the run and although forced four wide when making her run on the home bend was able to prevail narrowly in a tight finish, beating another Shepparton prepared pace rNivek al on.
Avenel trainer Ian Montgomery made it three wins in seven starts with pacer Cannon Beach at Wednesday night’s Bendigo meeting.
The five-year-old son of Heston Blue Chip travelled three wide in the final circuit over the 1650m trip and got the better of his rivals close to the finishing line with a 28.2 last quarter.
It was a good training feat by Montgomery as Cannon Beach had not raced since September and was having only his seventh seventh in two years.
He is out of the unraced Beach Towel mare Beach Froi who has had four foals to race and are all winners including Beach Melody who saluted 10 times.
Stanhope horseman Mark Pitt also enjoyed a win at the Bendigo meeting, partnering the Mick Carbonetrained Credulous to a fighting win.
Pitt almost had a driving, going down by a half head to the Any Gathtrained Axe And Deez on Vinsanity, who is trained by his wife Lisa.
I’m heading to the spelling paddock this weekend for a let-up, but hope to back in a few weeks, minus my blinkers refreshed and ready to bring you all the district harness racing news.
Racing returns to Shepparton tonight with late stalwarts of the club being honoured with memorial races.
Echuca is also staging a meeting on Thursday night.
Today: Yarra Valley (d), Shepparton (n)
Tomorrow: Melton (n)
Sunday: Charlton (d)
Monday: Maryborough (d)
Tuesday: Mildura (n)
Wednesday: Terang (n)
Thursday: Echuca (n)
