Jack reined home four of the nine winners on the program, a feat he had not performed before at one meeting.
‘‘I think I had five winners in one day, but they were at two meetings,’’ Jack said this week.
Jack struck early with the well supported Sheree Baker-trained Pee Bees Delight, a four-year-old P B Bullville mare who scored her maiden win at her 10th try.
Then it was the talented Peter Romero-prepared trotter Sheetweb Weaver to salute next for Jack, overcoming a 20m handicap to post his fourth win in 14 starts.
A four-year-old son of Yankee Spider, Sheetweb Weaver accounted for Atega Dawn and the 126/1 shot, the Brian Bourke-trained and Damain Wilson-driven 10-year-old Starlight Storm.
The next winner was the Tayla Nicholson-prepared Superbon.
Jack took Superbon to the front early in the race and the Pet Rock five-year-old gelding warded off all challengers in the home straight to post his seventh win from 37 tries.
Jack then completed his quadrella of winners and personal record, steering the Rochester-trained Payup Orleave to victory in the final event.
Prepared by Shane Pangrazio, Payup Orleave was up to the challenge of sitting outside the pacemaker for the 2170m trip and holding on to beat the fast finishing Lethal Lover and Strawberry Delight.
It was the seven-year-old Live Or Die gelding’s fourth win from 42 starts and his second win in this campaign after being off the track for more than 12 months.
Win well warranted
Shane Pangrazio wasn’t the only Rochester trainer to produce a winner at Cobram.
Mark Thompson also came up with a winner, Warrantee, who not only put his rivals away in relentless fashion but posted a PB mile rate in the process.
The four-year-old son of Thompson’s top pacer Guarantee and driven by Ellen Tormey Warrantee was forced to race without cover for the 1670mm trip, but made light work of it and drew away from his rivals at the business end for a PB mile rate of 1:54.3, the quickest for that trip at the meeting.
It was Warrantee’s fourth win in 16 starts and arguably his toughest.
Assassin a Red Hot bolter
Murchison mentor Greg Fleming and Shepparton reinsman Leigh Sutton rocked most punters at last Saturday night’s Melton meeting with an 80/1 winner.
The Fleming-trained and Sutton-driven Red Hot Assassin upset the $2.10 favourite Sly Terror after a forceful drive early from Sutton.
Punters weren’t sure where Red Hot Assassin would end up from barrier four with some quick beginners inside of him, but he was able to initially take the front running spot before handing up to Sly Terror and then running down that pacer on the sprint lane to notch his eighth win in 24 starts.
Four of these wins have been achieved from nine starts this season.
More Melton money
It was another good night at Melton for Shepparton and Goulburn Valley drivers with Bec Bartley, Mark Pitt and David Moran posting winners at the meeting.
Moran and Pitt drove winners on the Emma Stewart-trained Timmy Rictor and Our Vinne respectively, while Bartley partnered the John Yeomans-prepared Itsebonynivory to an all-the-way win.
Yole never walk alone
Mega Tasmanian trainer Ben Yole has been chalking up the winners from his Victorian satellite training base in recent times and ‘‘did an Emma Stewart’’ at last Sunday’s Cranbourne meeting.
From six starters he produced the first five placegetters in the opening race, a feat he has pulled off quite regularly with his massive team of pacers in Tassie but not before in Victoria.
Yole also had the winner and third placegetter in the second race with his only other two other starters at the meeting.
Voldstead babies star
The first two-year-olds by trotting sire Voldstead to race in Victoria were to the fore at last Friday’s Maryborough meeting.
Nathan Jack started the meeting from where he left off at Cobram the previous day by producing Violet Standford, a daughter of Voldstead, who he trains and drives, for a runway win in a heat of the Platinum Home Grown Classic for two-year-old filles.
The $50,000 final is tomorrow night at Melton and Violet Standford has drawn the pole.
The second fillies heat at Maryborough was also a triumph for Voldstead as the Matthew Gath-trained and driven Third Eye scored at 25/1.
The runner-up in Violet Standford’s heat Magic Law was 25m away, while the third filly home, the David Aiken-trained and driven Maoris Mac is also by Voldstead.
Third Eye is owned by Echuca-Moama trots stalwarts Norm and Joan Visca.
Voldstead is by Cantab Hall and won 27 races and almost $750,000 in prizemoney.
He has 96 live foals in Australia and up to last week only two had raced.
A shuttle stallion Voldstead has returned to his US base in Ohio and it’s doubtful whether he will be available to Australian breeders again.
Grace builds picket fence
Art Major mare Major Grace extended her winning sequence to seven and maintained her perfect Australian record when she saluted at this week’s Swan Hill meeting.
The four-year-old Emma Stewart-trained mare driven by Mark Pitt started her winning streak at Maryborough on December 29 last year when making her Australian debut and has not been beaten since.
This week’s win was one of theeasiest in her winning streak, leading and then running away from her rivals at the business end of the 2240m trip to beat the runner-up Mac Cheddar by nearly 17m.
Pitt has been in the sulky for five of her Australian wins.
Winning ways at Wagga
A trainer and two drivers from the Goulburn Valley savoured success at Tuesday night’s Wagga meeting.
Merrigum trainer Luke Bryant took two pacers to the meeting and came home with a winner and runner-up, while Shepparton reinsman Leigh Sutton made the most of his one drive, partnering the Peter Romero-trained Cheez to an all-the-way win.
Grace Bilney was in the sulky of the Bryant runners Keayang Alex and Keayang Omar.
Keayang Alex settled three back on the pegs and was in a lot of trouble turning for home, but Bilney was able thread the Roll With Joe gelding through a pack of pacers near the finishing line to steal the race in a fearless drive.
In the previous race Keayang Omar also stormed home, but the winner Lieutenant Arden in his Australian debut had cleared out from his rivals and was never in danger of being run down.
Keayang Alex started a $2.50 favourite, while Keayang Omar was a 22/1 shot.
Sutton took Cheez straight to the front and the five-year-old son of Betterthancheddar was able to fend off a wall of challengers in the home straight.
It was the fourth time Sutton has driven Cheez and it was his first win on the pacer.
Plenty in the money
It was a big night at Shepparton on Wednesday night for Goulburn Valley trainers and drivers.
Reinswoman Tasmyn Potter landed her second winner, Damian Wilson drove a 150/1 winner and Codi Rauchenberger and Stacey Towers enjoyed wins at the meeting.
More on those wins next week
Coming up
Today: Ballarat (n)
Tomorrow: Melton (n)
Sunday: Ararat (d)
Monday: Yarra Valley (d)
Tuesday: Shepparton (n)
Wednesday: Mildura (n)
Thursday: Charlton (d), Ballarat (n)
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