The close-knit Terang harness racing fraternity was evident after talented mare Sweet Ideal took out the IRT Pace on Saturday night.
Darryl Lawlor pressed forward on Sweet Ideal, wresting the lead off Soap And Bubbles with a lap to travel, and the pair drew clear of their rivals to fight out the finish, with Sweet Ideal ($5.50) holding on to score by a neck in a slick mile rate of 1:51.9.
Lawlor was charged with emotion after the race, highlighting the mare hadn’t drawn favourably in recent times.
“She has been on her last chance to race truly a few times because they’re just not going fast enough for her,” Lawlor said.
“Jason Lee helped me out during the week and a big shout out to him, and I couldn’t be happier,” he said.
Lawlor and his father Gary, who trains the mare, have been long-time breeders.
“I do pedigree matching and we’ve had the family for 30 years, we just go to top stallions and this is the result,” he said.
“I really think at Menangle she could go 1:50.”
Lee too was in the winner’s circle half an hour later after he partnered the $2.60 favourite Keayang Wasabi to victory in the Mimosa Homes Pace.
Lee wasn’t happy with the moderate tempo and pressed forward on Keayang Wasabi to join the leader Repelling with a lap to travel.
Despite sitting parked, Keayang Wasabi had sufficient in reserve to stave off Clymenus by half a head, with Springfield Affair seven metres away third.
“He was sort of waiting for them when he hit the front, but he has hit a really good patch of form,” he said.
Lee was able to expand on the assistance he provided to Darryl Lawlor during the week.
“Darryl was having a little bit of trouble with his mare getting a bit keen and I was talking to him about a couple of bits he could try and at the trials on Wednesday night he gave it a go and he was really happy,” he said.
“In this game it always goes around that there are times when you might need help in return, and I had a good association with the Lawlors when I drove Bad Billy and we’re good family friends.”
The Chris Svanosio-trained Inter Dominion-bound stablemates Lovemeto and Remus Phoenix tuned up for the series when they ran the quinella in the Aldebaran Park Free For All Trot.
Sent out the $1.85 favourite, Lovemeto worked forward to sit outside another Inter Dominion contender, Im Bobby, who was first up from a spell, and couldn’t go with Lovemeto down the back straight.
In the home running, Lovemeto proved too strong, scoring by seven metres from Remus Phoenix in a mile rate of 1:56.5.
Kerryn Manning admitted Lovemeto had the advantage of race fitness over the leader.
“I knew Im Bobby was first up and my horse was fit and well, so I put a bit of pressure on him down the back and he was too good for them,” Manning said.
“He’s been a lovely horse throughout his career and won some nice races, he’s had a lot of issues along the way which have held him back quite a bit, but he feels really sound and well.
“There are better horses out there coming up to race against, but you can only beat what you’re against and he’s doing it nicely.”
