Star Shepparton reinsmen Nathan Jack and Leigh Sutton pulled off feature race wins in two states last weekend.
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Jack landed the Newcastle Mile in a typically well-judged front-running display on the Emma Stewart-trained Mach Dan, while Sutton claimed the $50,000 Terang Pacing Cup on another of the Stewart team, Like A Wildfire, on Saturday night.
Jack made full use of Mach Dan’s barrier two draw and gate speed to lead all the way in the $100,000 Newcastle Mile, upstaging more fancied runners in the process.
A 13/1 shot on the tote, Mach Dan comfortably held off the roughie, the 125/1 shot Balraj, with the David Aiken-trained Max Delight holding down third place after stalking the winner in the run.
It was the first time Jack had driven Mach Dan and it was also his first drive in the time-honoured sprint.
Sutton weaved some magic to win the $50,000 Terang Cup on Like A Wildfire.
Settling Like A Wildfire last from a wide draw Sutton gambled on taking his chance on the short way home, taking the pacer to the inside running entering the back straight.
But the move paid off and Like A Wildfire eventually gained a sprint lane run in the home straight to motor to victory.
Sutton had partnered the Big Jim pacer in previous recent runs and had won on him at the Bendigo Cup meeting on January 8.
Feature Hope
Master Shepparton reinsman Nathan Jack will be chasing more feature race wins tomorrow night at Menangle.
He will partner Just Hope, trained by his father Russell, in the $200,000 NSW Pacers Oaks final.
Just Hope finished third in her heat to fellow Victorian flying machine Amore Vita, who will be at short odds in the final despite drawing barrier eight.
But Just Hope has fared even worse in the draw, coming up with barrier nine, while the other heat winner Madrid will come from barrier four which has opened up the race a bit.
Jack will also partner Terang Cup winner Like A Wildfire in the Group One $100,000 Schweppes Sprint and another of the Emma Stewart team Lightning Dan in a heat of the NSW Derby at the meeting.
Like A Wildfire will come from barrier two and Lightning Dan from barrier four.
David Aiken-trained stablemates Malcolms Rhythm and Max Delight are also chasing big money at the meeting.
Max Delight will contest the $100,000 Group One Allied Sprint, a lead-in race to the Miracle Mile, in which recent Hunter Cup winner King Of Swing will be mighty hard to toss from barrier two.
Max Delight, who will have his regular driver Chris Alford in the sulky, has drawn barrier five, but with a scratching will come into barrier four.
Malcolms Rhythm, who tuned up with a gallant fourth at Menangle last Saturday night, will race from gate five in the Schweppes Sprint, another of the Miracle Mile qualifiers, and will be driven by Josh Aiken.
Right on the Mark
Goulburn Valley horsemen continue to enjoy success at Wagga’s Riverina Paceway.
Shepparton reinsman Mark Pitt partnered the Ellen Bartley-trained All Da Rage to salute at last Friday’s meeting to give him another winner in his comeback after suspension.
All Da Rage showed blistering gate speed to lead from barrier five and led his rivals a merry dance in 1:55.6 mile rate time for the 1740m trip.
A three-year-old son of Betterthancheddar, All Da Rage, a $3 second favourite beat the long odds-on favourite Road Runner by nearly 15m to notch his third win in 15 starts.
Keen to make up for lost time Pitt was also in the winner’s circle again at Sunday’s meeting at Gunbower, reining the Peter Salathiel-trained trotter Sheza Choclatier to victory.
Bec hits double
Shepparton horsewoman Bec Bartley combined with top trainer Emma Stewart to win two of the six races at last week’s Swan Hill meeting.
Bartley partnered the Stewart-prepared Kekoa to win the Blue Pearl Classic and another of the Stewart team Beach Life to win a three-year-old race.
Having her third start for the Stewart stable Kekoa got a three-wide tow into the race over the last lap of the $14,000 event over the 2240m and finished over the top of her rivals, accounting for the Merrigum-owned Holi Starzzz and the roughie Valkyrie.
It was the first time Bartley has driven the Art Major four-year-old mare who has had 11 starts.
It also completed successive wins for the mare after saluting at Kilmore on February 3 at her previous start when driven by Mark Pitt.
In contrast to Kekoa’s win, Beach Life led all the way as a long odds-on favourite and rated a slick 1:54.4 over the 1750m trip to comfortably hold off her only challenger Roll With Ron to win by 3m with the third placegetter, Pesci, filling the minor placing 40m away.
It was also the first time Bartley had driven Beach Life and it was the filly’s first win in five starts.
Another district winner at Swan Hill was Artizz, who scored for Kyabram trainer Gary Payne.
Reinsman Cody Crossland was able to retain the front-running position on the nine-year-old Art Major gelding who chalked up his 12th win.
Hay he’s a marvel
The old warrior — Hayjoshandco — has done it again.
The 10-year-old lined up for his 196th start at Gunbower on Sunday and gave his younger rivals a lesson in notching his 19th win.
The son of Grinfromeartoear gave young reinsman Cody Crossland a torrid drive, wanting to get on with things in a front-running role.
But he was still resilient enough to comfortably hold off all chasers in the run to the judge.
Even his Shepparton trainer Dave Farrar is pleasantly surprised with Hayjoshandco’s longevity and his ability to hold his form.
‘‘He doesn’t get much work between his runs. I haven’t hoppled him since December and I just canter and swim him between races,’’ Farrar, who has prepared the gelding for all his starts, which have also produced 27 seconds and 32 thirds, said.
And in the eyes of his proud owners Stewart and Pam McDonald, who attend every meeting he runs at, Hayjoshandco is just the bee’s knees.
The win provided Crossland with the first leg of a driving double at the meeting.
He also partnered the Tongala-trained Tasma Flash, who got up to beat a gallant Sirius Major who made a bold bid to lead all the way.
Trainer Mick Watt has now won four races with three minor placings from the eight starts he has given the Mach Three seven-year-old.
Curly’s low flying
Shepparton trainer Kasey Kent has certainly hit it off with pacer Curly James.
Kent has given the A Rocknroll Dance four-year-old pacer the last five of his 10 starts and he has won four of them. In the other race for her he ran third.
Curly James’ latest win came at Gunbower on Sunday when he was simply too tough for his rivals.
He was pushed out of the gate by reinsman Connor Clarke to lead and was a sitting duck all the way down the home straight after being taken on mid-race in the run by Spot On.
But he just refused to lay down, beating the Graham Lyon-trained professional placegetter Jets Art who ran another big race.
Curly James’ mile rate of 1:56.8 was easily the quickest of his five wins.
Spring in step
Shepparton horseman Steve Duffy can vouch how quickly the highs and lows in racing can happen after the weekend.
Duffy and his family own Inter Dominion winner Boncel Benjamin who performed well below par in the $100,000 Newcastle Mile last Friday night in his first run since that Inter triumph.
But Duffy was back in the winner’s circle at Gunbower producing Spring Line for an impressive win.
The three-year-old Betting Line gelding did all the heavy work in the run, sitting outside the pacemaker, Ohhemmjay Cresco, and then easily warding off all challengers over the concluding stages.
Spring Line’s only other two starts produced a third on debut at Cobram and a second at his previous start at Kilmore.
Spring Line is out of the winning Life Sign mare Spring To Life, who has also left Spring Delight, a winner of five races.
In Swing of things
District trainers enjoyed wins at Bendigo on Wednesday night.
Euroa horseman Cameron Maggs produced Momentum Swing to win a two-year-old race at his second start, while the Steve O’Donoghue-Bec Bartley team struck with Changeover Girl.
Momentum Swing, who debuted with an encouraging fourth placing at Geelong on February 15, was an impressive winner.
A son of former top pacer Vincent, Momentum Swing flew the gate from barrier five to lead his rivals a merry dance in 1:58.1 mile rate time for the 1650m trip.
Changeover Girl, a five-year-old mare by Changeover, came from last at the bell on a three-wide trail to finish over her rivals to score a well-deserved win after two thirds and a fourth placing at her previous three starts.
It broke a run of 16 starts away from the winner’s circle after the first two of her 19 outings had produced wins.
Red-hot trots
Two Group One races will highlight an all-trotters meeting at Melton tomorrow night.
The $100,000 Australasian Trotting Grand Prix is the main feature with finals of the Breed For Speed series other highlights on the nine-event card.
The speedy Majestuoso and Im Ready Jet look the top chances in the Grand Prix, while in the Group One $50,000 Gold final of the Breed for Speed series, the David Aiken-trained Aldebaran Crescent and the Clive Dalton-prepared Always A Dreamer are in the field, but have little had luck in the draw.
Always A Dreamer comes from an extreme outside front row draw, while Aldebaran Crescent comes off gate two off the second row.
Coming up
Today: Ballarat (n)
Tomorrow: Melton (n)
Sunday: Horsham (t)
Monday: Maryborough (d)
Tuesday: Kilmore (n)
Wednesday: Shepparton
Thursday: Ballarat (n)
Sports reporter