ID21: McCarthys weave magic as trotters’ series opens up

While trainer-driver combination Belinda and Luke McCarthy completed a clean sweep of the Inter Dominion pacing heats at Bathurst on Wednesday night, three Victorian-trained stars also moved into great positions to qualify for the $500,000 grand final on December 11.

Expensive Ego got the McCarthy show rolling with a track record win in the opening round two heat, charging clear despite a difficult run to record a mile rate of 1:50.6 over the 1730m trip.

Triple Eight, for Myrniong trainer Jess Tubbs and husband-driver Greg Sugars, had a soft run on the pegs and finished well for second.

Spirit Of St Louis then bettered his runner-up effort from Saturday night at Menangle with victory over stablemate Alta Orlando and David Aiken’s Malcolms Rhythm, who boxed on well from the death seat for third.

Then it was time for series favourite King Of Swing to show his class, and he did so with a gutsy display in the third and final heat.

Despite drawing the outside of the front row and sitting parked for the last lap, the gun six-year-old was too good for well-supported front-runner Boncel Benjamin, who led for almost every step of the race before being collared in the shadows of the post. Flashing home for third was Aiken-trained Max Delight, who was beaten just under three metres on the line.

Triple Eight, Malcolms Rhythm and Max Delight all picked up valuable points for their efforts on Wednesday night and sit inside the qualifying bracket for the final.

The third and final round of heats take place at Newcastle on Sunday, with the top 12 point-getters winning a spot in the Group 1 showdown the following weekend.

The trotting division series was given a big shake-up at Bathurst when grand final favourite Majestic Man dropped out badly in his heat to finish sixth behind Matthew Craven-trained-and-driven Lotamuscle.

The result lifted Lotamuscle to second on the overall standings and actually in front of high-profile stablemate Pink Galahs, who ran a gallant third in the other qualifier behind winner Timothy Red.

Michael Hughes-trained Victorian raider Just Believe placed second to Lotamuscle, while Team Aiken’s Aldebaran Crescent bounced back from the “thumps” on Saturday night to finish fourth.

Maori Law, who is trained by Richard and Emmett Brosnan in Meredith, was second in the close finish behind Timothy Red, while Ray Harvey’s The Penny Drops was just off the pace in fifth.

The 1:56.2 mile rate was a new 1730m track record for the squaregaiters at Bathurst.

Like the pacing division, the trotting final will be made up of the top 12 horses after Sunday’s third round of heats, with the Group 1 final worth $145,500.

* pictures courtesy Club Menangle

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