Veteran wins at Stawell Lightning strikes twice
Birchip owner-trainer Gary Living was in the winner’s circle at Stawell on Anzac Day after his eight year-old gelding A Rocknroll Jet scored a well-deserved victory in the $7000 Thomas Foods Pace.
Drawn inside the second line for the 2180 metre journey, driver Jackie Barker punched through at the start to hold the back of leader Shes A Tiny Dancer and enjoyed a sweet trip throughout.
At the top of the home stretch, Barker was able to ease off the pegs and A Rocknroll Jet burst clear to score by 1.9 metres from Montana Pride, Jason Ainsworth, and Bettorpatchmeup, Amy Day, in the leisurely rate of 2:04.2.
It was the 95 start veteran’s first win since May last year.
True to script
It is rare to see a Stawell meeting without Peter and-or Kerryn Manning posting a victory and true to script the father and daughter team landed the money in the Jim Mcleod Memorial Trotters Handicap with lightly-raced, seven-year-old mare Onestep Ahead.
After a safe beginning from the 10 metre mark, Manning’s charge, and the rest of the field, trotted Indian file through the first lap and a bit of the 2600m journey.
With two laps to go, Manning switched away from the markers into the one-one spot and stayed there until making a three-wide move at the 400 metre mark.
One Stepahead did not miss a beat and cruised to the post to score by 12 metres from Sonny Brooke, Luke Dunne and Claudy An Gus, Blake Pace.
In just two years of racing the only surviving foal of Lazy Toes has posted three wins and five minors for her ownerbreeders Cormack Racing SA.
Driving double
Kerryn Manning made it a driving double later in the afternoon with her own horse, seven-year-old gelding The Sportz Star, in the $8000 Stawell Gift Museum Pace.
The polemarker Didafull Oneeighty, Amy Day, worked hard out of the gate to retain the lead, with The Sportz Star hard on its back to enjoy a saloon passage throughout the 2180 metre contest.
A couple of mid-race attacking moves forced the frontrunner to maintain a solid tempo and when the sprint lane opened, The Sportz Star dashed through and scored by 1.5 metres from the brave Didafull Oneeighty, with Nosweetsforyou, Michelle Wight, in third spot after another tough effort.
After posting seven wins in Victoria, Manning sent The Sportz Star north for a Queensland campaign, which yielded a victory at Redcliffe. After returning home late last year, the son of Sportswriter and Molly Pitcher has notched up three wins.
Family flag flying
At Bendigo on Friday night, trainerdriver Michael Bellman was successful with seven-year-old mare Jazspur in the $10,000 Property Solutions Trot.
Fresh from a victory nine days previous at Hamilton, Jazspur sprint-laned to victory in a rate of 1:59.4 over the 2150 metre journey.
The mare has never raced better. Jazspur is raced by her breeders, the Hull family of Ararat, and her record now stands at 11 wins, 20 minor placings and a bank of $85,000, outdoing her half-sisters Mizurri with five wins and Majestic Pride, 10.
Unfortunately their dam Fleetwood Blue died in foal, but the Hull’s have her un-named two-year-old colt by What The Hill CA and a yearling filly by Propulsion USA to keep the family flag flying.
Six race meetings in the past three weeks have been run at Horsham Greyhound Racing Club and local trainers have again been around the mark, leading in their fair share of winners.
It was a case of lightning striking twice when Nhill conditioner Andrea Gurry landed the first four in a free-for-all event on April 9 and in doing so, pulling off the near impossible feat for the second time in as many weeks.
Westar Commander turned the tables on Fitzroy Bale in another head-bobbing affair, with only a small margin separating the two in a quick time of 23:26sec, with Spring Port a close third and Yanic Bale fourth.
Fitzroy Bale and Yanic Bale backed up on April 19 and again finished first and second in a best of the day time of 23:41sec.
It was followed by victory to Hartley Bale on April 23. Hartley Bale was forced to come from near last early on, using the rails run to keep punching up, winning in the last stride by a head in the time of 23:63sec.
Classy chaser Lightning Jedda for Tracey Salter and Greg Turnbull of Crowlands, continued her winning ways, also on the April 9 card, displaying her customary early speed to lead all the way in the longer 485 metre journey, stopping the clock in 27:59sec.
Team Fullerton, of Red Cliffs, was also successful that day when Dash of Sally hit the line first in a grade-five 410 metre event. Positioning second early, Dash of Sally was too strong in the run to the line, overpowering her competitors to win comfortably in 23:50sec. It was the start of a charmed run for the fortnight of racing, when the team followed up with winners on April 16 and 19 race cards.
Rising five-and-a-half-year-old Miracle Belle showed age was just a number when jumping straight to the front, comfortably winning her grade five 410 metre event in 23:65sec. Pressure Rising followed suite three days later, displaying great front-running effort to win well in 23:83sec.
Garry George, of Beulah, and Heather Baxter, Murtoa, were both successful on multiple race cards on April 12, with Patriot James for George leading all the way in the 410 metre event, winning in a best of the day 23:58sec.
Music Lesson for Baxter was forced to do it the hard way, coming from well back early and winning a head-bobber under extreme pressure.
Both trainers struck again on April 26 when Solo Effort for Baxter and Spin And Burn for George broke their maiden grade and both in impressive style.