Kerryn Manning and Grant Campbell were best in the west yesterday at Stawell.
It kicked off with Razs Veyron in the Hygain Feeds Pace, the Manning-trained four-year-old pacer sprinting by Wanted Lady late with Campbell in the sulky to score by a half-head in 1:58.1.
Manning brought up a training double in the Talquist Trees Pace with impressive four-year-old Million Dollar Cam gelding Romero (pictured) making it three-from-three since joining the Great Western camp.
Romero led and fended off stablemate Onthecrestofawave late to score in 1:58.6 by 1.3m, with Keayang Liberty’s run in third place full of merit after parking.
And Campbell-trained Courage Under Fire four-year-old Glenavril King comfortably took out the last race, the Trackside Takeaway’s Pace, from barrier seven with Manning in the gig.
The win made it two-from-two for the former Barry Dunn-trained pacer since joining Campbell.
Maori Armour gave trainer-driver Paddy Meade his first win in the cart in the Stawell Windows and Glass 3YO+ Trot to open the program. The six-year-old mare defeated Indefensible in 2:07.0, with Meade timing his run to perfection for his first winner at drive no.12.
Class prevailed in the Stawell Newsagency Trot when Matthew Craven-trained eight-year-old Gus An Maori cruised home for driver Sofia Arvidsson in 2:04.8. The son of Angus Hall took strong form lines into the race, around recent classy winners Auntie Poppy and Nephew Of Sonoko.
Jason Ainsworth trained and driven five-year-old Flaming Lucky produced a booming sprint to win the Chris N Di’s Bakery Pace in 2:00.8, defeating Asharah, with A Vapar Storm running third on debut.
Paddy Lee-trained Jilliby Zagami made it two wins from two starts with a neck victory over The Sportz Star in the Bi-Rite Electrical 3YO Pace, rating 2:00.4 with Glen Craven in the bike.
And possibly the most popular winner on the card was Hook Eye Joh, whose wonderful story can be read here.
Driven by Jackie Barker and trained by Julie Brimacombe, Hook Eye Joh sprinted strongly to take out the TAB, Long May We Play Pace in 1:58.6 over John Richard by 5.1m.
Last night at Tabcorp Park Melton Jodi Quinlan and Emma Stewart had a big night, Quinlan driving two winners and training one and Stewart snaring a treble.
Quinlan combined with Stewart to win aboard Celebrity Chef (pictured launching down the outside) in the DNR Logistics 3YO Pace, rating 1:58.2 to defeat stablemates Float On By and Miniscule, giving Stewart the trifecta.
Stewart and Quinlan teamed again to win the Flying Brick Cider Free Home Delivery Pace with talented three-year-old Art Major colt Mirragon.
Mirragon rated 1:54.9 to defeat favourite Vouchers by 2.8m with Delwyns Son running on hard into third place after being slightly held up to the home turn.
Maree and John Caldow have a talented trotter on their hands in Majestic Son five-year-old Sonny Brooke, who absolutely toyed with his rivals to win the Devcon Properties Trotters Handicap.
Sonny Brooke won by 29.2m, rating 2:02.0, with Classy Lola boxing on into second place and Zoomas Legend finishing third.
Stewart’s third winner came in the form of Kardesler, a six-year-old American Ideal entire, who was sensationally backed into $1.10 with Greg Sugars aboard before defeating Sew What by 2.1m with Betta Bopper producing a gutsy run to finish third.
And Sportzscribe finished the night on the right note for favourite punters, taking out the Golden Plains Equine Pace for Quinlan and driver Craig Demmler, rating 1:58.1 for the 2240m trip.
No first-starters today, so we don’t have a First-Starter Form segment.
We are racing at Bendigo tonight. Details on how to watch below.
