There has been more Group glory for Shepparton horsemen in the past week highlighted by the win of the Russell Jack-trained Just Hope in the NSW Oaks final at Menangle on Saturday night.
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Jack’s son Nathan piloted the daughter of Bettors Delight to an upset win in the Group One $200,000 feature at odds of 70/1.
Nathan speared Just Hope across the face of the field at the start from an outside draw to take an early lead before handing up to the second favourite Madrid.
She then ran that filly down in the concluding stages of the testing 2400m trip to claim the $109,000 first prize.
Fellow Victorian, and favourite, Amore Vita ran third, but never looked a winning chance.
The win followed Nathan Jack’s win two weeks earlier in the Group One Newcastle Mile on the Emma Stewart-prepared Mach Dan.
Even Just Hope’s trainer Russell Jack was pleasantly pleased with the progress the filly had made from her third placing in her heat to the final.
Russell said Just Hope didn’t settle in initially when Nathan got her to NSW before the heats, but she had turned the corner early last week leading up to the final of the Classic.
‘‘I was actually disappointed in her heat performance to be honest,’’ Russell, who also won the race with his former star pacer Yeronga Songbird at Harold Park in 1996 when training in the Riverina, said.
Russell is now planning another trip to NSW with the filly who has a local part-owner in trots stalwart Laurie Cormican who got a big thrill out of the win.
Last year Just Hope claimed the Gold Tiara Group One feature for two-year-old fillies at Bathurst and at the end of this month will attempt to win the three-year-old feature, The Gold Chalice.
Pitt doesn’t miss
Shepparton reinsman Mark Pitt continued his successful return to race driving with a win in the Group Two $60,000 Horsham Pacing Cup on Sunday.
The all-the-way cup win on the Emma Stewart-trained Our Millionaire was part of a big day at Horsham for Pitt who also partnered another of the Stewart stable, Mister Eighty One, and the Trevor Dummett-trained My Justice to wins at the meeting.
The memorable week for Pitt actually started with a win at Echuca on the Thursday night when he won on the Wayne Potter-trained trotter Alluring Tyron.
A former successful partnership was revived with the win, as when Pitt left the Riverina several years ago to make his mark in Victoria as a driver it was Potter who got him on his feet initially.
After the Echuca win Pitt fronted up the next day to complete a hat-trick of wins on the lightly-raced Stewart-trained mare Kekoa at Ballarat.
Pitt had partnered the Art Major four-year-old mare in the first of her three successive wins when she saluted at Kilmore on February 3.
At her next outing she was reined by Bec Bartley in winning the Blue Pearl Classic at Swan Hill.
In her latest win Pitt took over the front-running role on Kekoa and held off the fast-finishing Heavenly Gypsy in the 1710m $10,000 event in 1:56.4 mile rate time which included a 26.9 last quarter.
Pitt was again in winning form at Wednesday night’s Shepparton meeting, partnering the Craig Turnbull-trained Jannali to victory.
Cheers for Crescent
There was no Group glory in Sydney for Avenel horseman David Aiken at the weekend, but it was a different case on the home front.
Aiken produced the smart trotting mare Aldebaran Crescent at Melton on Saturday night to win the $50,000 Group One Lyn McPherson Memorial Breed For Speed Gold Series.
Driven by James Herbertson, Aldebaran Crescent came from second last with a powerful finish over the last 400m to comfortably account for the favourite Vacation Hill and Swiss Miss in sizzling 1:56.5 mile rate time over the short trip of 1720m.
There was more than a touch of irony with the win — the seven-year-old daughter of Majestic Son’s 13th success — as she was bred by Aldebaran Park, whose principal is Duncan McPherson with the series is named in honour of his late wife Lyn.
Aldebaran Crescent has been a great money spinner for connections with her wins and 17 placings producing prizemoney of more than $184,000.
It was a fruitful couple of days for the Aiken stable with another trotter, Love Gun, saluting at Melton the previous day.
A son of Love You, Love Gun had chalked up three top-three finishes in his past four starts and punters agreed he was ready to win again, supporting him into a $2.60 favourite.
Reinsman Josh Aiken settled Love Gun in the running line, but near the rear of the field, got a three-wide trail into the race over the final 800m and the four-year-old went to the line untouched in a decisive win in smart 2:00.4 mile rate time.
It was Love Gun’s second win in 18 starts, but on that effort it won’t be his last.
The Aikens were in the winner’s circle again at Tuesday night’s Kilmore meeting, winning with My Golden Eagle.
Punters trumped by Trumpys
Tongala trainer Mick Watt has dished up his share of winners in the past few months, but none quite as juicy as the one he saluted with at last week’s Echuca meeting.
The Watt-prepared Trumpys Legend, a 50/1 shot, upstaged the more fancied runners in delivering a knock-out blow to most quaddie punters.
Reinswoman Tayla French was able to get the back of the pacemaker Shaken Sands in the run and take the inside running in the home straight to account for the $1.70 favourite Roll With Ron and the second fancy Spring Line, who were both big in defeat.
A gelding by American Ideal out of a Grinfromeartoear mare Trumpys Legend was having his seventh start.
He had not placed in his previous six starts hence his generous price.
While Trumpys Legend is the first of two foals to race from the mare Best Expression his second dam Expression, who is by the Strike Out stallion My Striking Force, has left 11 winners including the extra smart Dougals Dream (20 wins) and Idol Stride (14 wins).
Ros enjoys Beach
Ros Rolfe struck a blow for the home town trainers at last week’s Echuca meeting, getting the money with six-year-old mare Beach Time.
Rolfe assigned Connor Ronan to drive Beach Time and he produced a well-timed front-running drive on the mare to account for the Jeff Gledhill-prepared Fantasy Beach by just more than 2m with a long gap to the third placegetter, another local, Cobber Mac.
Beach Time was having her 43rd start and although she hadn’t won for nine starts they had produced seven top-four finishes, including three seconds and three thirds, so she was overdue for another win, the fourth of her career.
Junior wins battle
Five-year-old gelding Junior Warfare continued his current hot form to win at Echuca.
The win came after the five-year-old Village Jolt gelding had won at his previous start at Shepparton on February 16.
Trained by Girgarre East mentor Greg Lewis, Junior Warfare has now won three of his past six starts.
Brad Chisolm has driven him in his past two outings and now boasts an unbeaten record on the pacer who has faced the starter 56 times for eight wins, eight seconds and four thirds which have produced more than $47,000 in prizemoney.
Roslyn rewards Merkel
With his win Junior Warfare actually deprived Tongala trainer Gary Merkel of a double at the meeting as the pacer he ran down in the final stages was the pacesetter Argy Bargy.
In the following race the Merkel-trained mare Roslyn Gaye finished all over her rivals to claim her fourth win from eight starts this season.
Reinsman Damien Wilson had Roslyn Gaye in the one-one sit for most of the race and the Artistic Fella seven-year-old mare was able to run down the favourite Brackenreid and Treacherous Rock in the concluding stages of the 2160m event at nice odds of 12/1.
A Cheeki victory
On form it looked his race to lose, but six-year-old pacer Cheeki Philtra was able to end a 17-race stretch without a win when he scored for Ardmona trainer-driver Donna Castles at Kilmore on Tuesday night.
Castles was able to find the lead at the start with the Modern Art gelding who led throughout to beat Corryong Cooler and Elanna in easy style over the 1690m trip.
It was a win that was coming because Cheeki Philtra had been knocking on the door for some time with five of his previous six starts producing top-four placings, including two seconds and two thirds.
Night of delight
Plenty of district winners at the Shepparton meeting on Wednesday.
Craig Turnbull produced Jannali (driven by Mark Pitt) for her second win, John Nissen was successful with Terror Of Locksley (Bec Bartley), Col Duncan saluted with veteran pacer Zuberi (Chris Alford) and Shaun Kittel got the major money with Mauries Bonus (Michael Bellman).
Nathan Jack also picked up the catch drive on the Matthew Martin-trained Haveyoumetdaisy and made the most of it with a runaway win.
More on those wins next week.
Coming up
Today: Yarra Valley (d), Mildura (n)
Tomorrow: Melton (n)
Sunday: Boort (t)
Monday: Stawell (d)
Tuesday: Shepparton (n)
Wednesday: Bendigo 9)
Thursday: Swan Hill (n)
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