Patient owners celebrate cup win
Horsham-hamilton’s Lewis family and a band of patient owners celebrated the success of rejuvenated eight-year-old gelding Fides in the $30,000 Matthews Petroleum 2024 Hamilton Pacing Cup on Sunday.
Since debuting as a two year old in March 2018, the beautifully bred son of Rock N Roll Heaven USA and Localize, the pint-sized pacer has managed just 29 starts to date in a stop-start career due to muscle tears, minor fractures and the usual equine niggles.
With eight wins on the board, Fides was off the scene from April 2020 until he made a winning return in November 2022, only to be outed for a further 12 months after suffering a leg injury.
Members of the Lewis family took Fides through a decent stint of rehab before he returned to the Craven barn to complete the comeback preparation.
A first-up win at Bendigo on Saturday night was followed by Sunday’s sizzling success, where Craven brought his charge from second last at the bell in a 55.1-second half to claim the cash in a rate of 1:56.5.
Victory for Dunn
Horsham horseman Aaron Dunn made the long haul to Shepparton on Saturday and was rewarded with a victory, piloting his four-year-old gelding Little Louie to the line in the $15,000 Alabar No Metro Wins Pace.
The gelded son of Sweet Lou USA and Little Lyn continued the winning ways of the Dunn family’s 1986 broodmare Koomberkine, six wins, through her daughter Rappa Scooter, 13, and granddaughter Little Lyn, 12.
Drawn barrier three on the front line over the 1690m sprint trip, Dunn had Little Louie perfectly poised one-out, two-back at the bell and secured a three wide tow forward from the 400m mark to have the leaders in his sights at the top of the home stretch.
The combo proved too strong in the final stages and scored by 1.1 metres in a rate of 1:53.9, taking ‘Louie’s record to six wins, seven minors and $86,547 from 27 career starts.