Winning double
Armstrongowner-trainer-driver Jason Ainsworth notched up a winning double at last week’s Ararat Harness Racing Club fixture.
A brief let-up from racing saw his rising six-year-old mare Underplay return to form with a solid victory in the $4500 Carbine Chemicals Pace.
After a couple of ordinary performances back in early October, Ainsworth freshened up the daughter of Shadow Play USA before making a return to the racetrack nearly six weeks later.
Drawn the widest on the second line, Underplay settled at the tail of the field for the first half of the 1790-metre contest, enjoying the slick tempo up front.
Ainsworth made a three-wide move at the bell on the back of Aerodyne Guy – Michael Bellman – and both horses suffered a slight check down the back stretch but recovered to make ground.
With the leaders out of gas turning for home, Underplay went on to score by six metres in a rate of 2:00.2
The mare is raced on lease from the Snell and Weston families by Ainsworth and his partner Natasha Raven.
Later in the night stablemate Flaming Lucky made it a double for the Ainsworth-raven combo in the 2195-metre Ararat Farm Supplies Pace.
It was only the third career victory from 78 starts for the gelded son of
Courage Under Fire NZ but interestingly, all three wins have come from 23 starts over the past 12 months.
After starting from gate five, Ainsworth managed to slot Flaming Lucky in behind the leader Lifeasweknowit – Jackie Barker – and enjoyed the run of the race throughout.
The leader took Flaming Lucky to the sprint lane at the top of the straight and Ainsworth punched his charge through to score by 2.5 metres from Areyouohkay – James Herbertson – and Miss Chianti – Neil Mccallum – in a rate of 2.02.7.
Other winners
Other winners on Ararat’s ninerace card included Danceforme, for part-owner and trainer Leroy O’brien in the $7000 Pinky Point 2YO Pace.
The gelded son of A Rocknroll Dance
USA and Shake It Up Baby NZ was first up from a spell.
Just Be Yourself cruised to a 25-metre win in the Ararat HRC Committee Pace for breeder-owners Terry and David Lewis and trainer-driver Matty Craven.
The four-year-old daughter of Sportswriter USA and Lewis’s former handy race-mare Whodyou Wantmetobe, seven wins, was first up after a decent spell and made it two wins from six starts.
The Grant Campbell-kerryn Manning team took out the lucky last at Ararat, a $7000 pace over 2195 metres.
Poised one out one back at the bell, Manning angled down into the sprint lane at the 600-metre mark and was able to overhaul the leader Madazalways – Matthew Horsnell – in the final stages and score by four metres in a rate of 2:00.1.