Sulky Shorts with Gus Underwood: Duffys have done it

The Duffy family owns Boncel Benjamin, who wrote himself into the record books as being the first Shepparton-owned pacer to win the championship and the first to win it on protest.

In a Shepparton-flavoured finish, Expensive Ego, driven by Shepparton horseman David Moran, was first past the post but stewards ruled interference in the home straight had cost Boncel Benjamin momentum — and the race — and subsequently upheld a protest.

The difference between winning and running second was almost $200,000.

Moran was having his first drive in an Inter Dominion final and took the disappointment of having the race taken from him and connections of Expensive Ego on the chin.

A Law unto his own

There was a strong Seymour flavour in Maori Law’s win in the Inter Dominion Trotting Championship final at Menangle last Saturday night.

The eight-year-old was prepared for his first 45 race starts by Seymour horseman Bill Morgan who won 16 races with the trotter, including his first four race starts.

For the most recent 13 of his 58 career starts Maori Law has been trained by Richard Brosnan and his son Emmett.

Driver Greg Sugars pushed on early to take the front-running position on the son of Lawman, who comfortably held off the New Zealand star Majestic Man and fellow Victorian Just Believe over the marathon 3009m trip.

The 1.59.4 mile rate set a new track record for the trip.

Avenel’s two representatives in the Inter Dominion Pacing Championship final, Max Delight and Malcolms Rhythm, filled fourth and 10th positions respectively for Team Aiken.

Max Delight, driven by Chris Alford, finished less than 10m from the winner after being locked away four back on the pegs for the trip while the Josh Aiken-driven Malcolms Image finished 20m from the winner.

Max Delight pocketed $30,000 for his fourth placing and Malcolms Image $7500.

He sure has a Spring In His Step

The Russell Jack-prepared Spring In His Step lived up to his heat form to claim the Group Three final of the Gordon Rothacker Memorial Championship final at Melton last Friday night.

The three-year-old son of Somebeachsomewhere had put up a herculean performance to win his heat the previous week when forced to race three wide for the 1720m trip.

It was a little easier in the final, with Spring In His Step being sent to the front early by reinsman Jack Laugher in the race and then fending off all rivals in the run to the judge.

Spring In His Step was having only his 20th race start, which have now produced six wins, six seconds and a third and over $64,000 in stake money earnings.

It was a fruitful couple of days for the trainer, who had also produced Nineteenth Man to win at the Echuca meeting.

The Captaintreacherous two-year-old, driven by James Herbertson, missed a lot of interference in the race but was a class above his rivals in securing a runaway win, the second of his 12-start career.

Shaking things up

Spring In His Step wasn’t the only district-trained pacer to win at Melton last Saturday night.

Avenel trainer Wayne Potter produced Allshookup for a tough win to make it three wins from six starts since joining his stable.

The four-year-old Rocknroll Dance gelding had to work three-wide over the final lap from near last at the bell and was up to challenge, downing Magic Mike by a head.

Allshookup, who is still owned by his former trainer, Rochester’s Shayne Eeles, has always been a talented pacer and is building an impressive profile with nine wins from his 24 career starts.

Melton moments for Farrar

Shepparton trainer Dave Farrar fulfilled an ambition when the pacer he trains, Hayhjoshandco, won at last week’s day meeting at Melton.

The rising 10-year-old warrior, driven by Cody Crossland, trounced his rivals to notch his 17th career win.

Farrar has had three unsuccessful attempts in the past to try and win a race at headquarters with the son of Grinfromeartoear and was pleased to have finally achieved the feat.

‘‘He’s been a great old horse for me and his owners Stewart and Pam (McDonald) and it was good to get the win especially for Pam who has been fighting breast cancer but was able to make it and see the win,’’ Farrar said.

Watt a day

Tongala trots trainers Gary Merkel and Michael Watt produced winners at last Thursday’s Echuca trots meeting.

Merkel lined up Argy Bargy, who was driven by Damian Wilson, for his 32nd start this season and the six-year-old pacer led all the way to record his fourth career win.

Watt produced Tasma Flash for a tough win in his first start for the Tongala horseman.

Tasma Flash raced wide over the final lap and looked beaten when headed on the home turn but fought back to win his first race for 19 months at nice odds to continue Watt’s recent run of success.

Watt was back in the winner’s circle the following night at the Bendigo meeting, completing successive wins with trotter Patchwork, who set the pace and resisted all attempts to be run down in the concluding stages.

Saluting with a Prosecco

Kyabram’s trots trainers also enjoyed wins at the Echuca meeting.

Mark Watson struck with the in-form Prosecco Boy while Mick Blackmore landed the major money with Just A Philtra.

Prosecco Boy, driven by Ellen Tormey, was up to the challenge of sitting three-wide over the final lap to record his eighth career win. The five-year-old son of Betterthancheddar had not finished further back than fourth in his previous nine starts, which have produced two wins, three thirds and two second placings and lifted his prize money earnings over $41,000.

Just A Philtra also hung tough to record her fourth career win in 43 starts which have also produced 16 minor placings.

The four-year-old daughter of Auckland Reactor, driven by top concession reinsman James Herberton, also was forced to race wide for most of the 1755m trip but was equal to the challenge.

The win was richly deserved as Just A Philtra had run four seconds in her previous seven starts.

A week to remember

Stanhope trainer Greg Lewis had a week to remember last week with wins at the Maryborough and Echuca meetings on successive days.

At Maryborough Lewis struck with trotter Walkabout Cascade who notched his first career win in runaway style at his ninth career start.

At Echuca the Lewis-trained and Abbey Turnbull-driven pacer Little Demon was having only his eighth race start and led throughout over the 2160m trip to notch his second career win in impressive fashion.

All Golden again

Smart trotter Golden Sunset saluted for the second time in four starts since resuming from a spell with a dominant win at Bendigo last Friday night.

Avenel trainer-driver Juanita Breen pressed on early to take the lead on Golden Sunset who was too good for her rivals in smart 2.02.7 mile time for the 2150m trip.

Golden Sunset is by Skyvalley out of the Sundon mare Golden Wahine, a winner of five races, who has left one other trotter to race, Golden Spur, who won seven races.

Sassy performance

Elmore trainer Keith Cotchin KO-ed most main quaddie punters with a long-shot winner at last week’s Maryborough meeting.

The Cotchin-trained and John Caldow-driven Sassiness started at 60-1 on the tote but won like a favourite in a tough performance which produced his first win in just his fifth race start.

Sassiness had shown ability in his previous starts with a third placing at Shepparton at his third start.

He followed up his long-shot win with an eye-catching third in a heat of the Vicbred Super Series at Shepparton on Tuesday night.

By Betterthancheddar, Sassiness is out of the Sportwriter mare Bold Comment Lombo who has produced just two foals to date.

Can’t top the Beach

Shepparton trainers made a successful raid on last Friday’s Wagga meeting.

Kasey Kent got the chocolates with the promising two-year-old filly Beach Memories who upstaged her older rivals while Isabel Walsh won with Do Not Surrender. Both were driven by David Moran.

Beach Memories, who streeted her rivals on the same track the previous week, repeated the dose with another dominant front-of-the-field performance to record her fifth career win in 12 starts. She finished fourth in a Vicbred Super Series heat at Shepparton on Tuesday night to progress to the semi-finals.

Do Not Surrender was also an all-the-way winner with a PB 1.55.1 performance over the 1740m trip in recording his fifth career win and his first since winning at Echuca in October.

What a show

The Emma Stewart Show hit Shepparton on Tuesday night and produced winners in four of the eight Vicbred Super Series heats for two-year-old pacers.

The master trainer’s haul from the heats with her 17 starters also included three quinellas and one trifecta.

But Stewart didn’t have the fastest heat winner in her winning foursome.

That honour went to the Matt Craven-trained and Sofia Arvidsson-driven Art Major colt Heza Son Of Agun who peeled off a blistering 1.55.0 mile rate for the 2190m trip which included a scorching 55.1 last half which propelled him to a winning margin of 23.10m over the runner-up Captain Rival.

News gets it right

Tatura north trainer Craig Turnbull claimed a heat of the time-honoured Leeton Breeders Plate for two-year-old pacers on Tuesday night.

The Turnbull-trained National News made it two wins from two starts with a dominant all-the-way win over the 1758m trip.

Driven by Abbey Turnbull, the Sportswriter gelding rated 1.58.7 which was slightly slower than the other heat winner Sugar Apple’s 1.55.6 performance for Inter Dominion-winning trainer Jason Grimson.

Shepparton trainer Dave Farrar also qualified Always Be Chloe for the final on December 26 with her fifth placing behind Sugar Apple, who has won all of his three Australian starts.

Damian Wilson also had a winner at the Leeton meeting with consistent mare Cracked Pepper scoring an effortless all-the-way win as an odds-on favourite.

Meetings coming up:

Today: Cobram (d), Melton (n)

Saturday: Cranbourne (n)

Sunday: Terang (t)

Monday: Maryborough (d), Mildura (n)

Tuesday: Melton (n)

Wednesday: Melton (n)

Thursday: Ararat (d), Shepparton (n)

Friday: Bendigo (n)