Thomas Parnell enjoyed his 13th winner as a trainer last night at home track Kilmore with his pacer Alte (pictured).
The three-year-old colt claimed the J & A Mazzetti 3YO Pace with Monique Burnett in the sulky, rating 1:57.0, defeating Celestia by a half-neck.
Alte has always been blessed with speed, but Parnell admitted getting the son of Village Jolt to finish off his races had been a goal.
“We’ve taken the sit with him lately and he’s been running on well,” Parnell said.
“He’s been racing in better company this time in against Leosabi and Sahara Sirocco, Cuzin Lyndal, those sort of horses, and matching it with those guns.
“Last night we had a drop back in class, he was back to 1690m, his favourite distance.”
Parnell has enjoyed two career wins with Alte, adding to the 11 he picked up with his favourite horse Giant Steps.
Alte is winning Parnell over big time.
“He gives you everything… he just struggles a but around that last corner. You have to balance him up and he picks it up again in the straight. He loses 10-15m on each corner then finds it again. Another horse we used to have, The Cobblers Piece, used to do the same thing,” Parnell said.
“He’s a pleasure to train and Moni gets a thrill of driving him every week.”
Parnell, 26, enjoys every success that comes his way in the trots.
“Absolutely… I’m loving it. I’ve got him in work (Alte), plus another three-year-old I train, Nandaly, who is back in work,” he said.
“I get a lot of support from the whole Mifsud family. Aussie, Rita, Annetto and Patrick. I’ve been working for Rita for 10 years. I got involved because my late pop, Jim Parnell, he used to train and Rita drove his horses.”
Meanwhile, later at Kilmore we may have witnessed an exciting trotter on the rise in Storm Cloud winning the Kilmore Trackside Trot.
The Majestic Son gelding is a half-brother to Cruisin Around, out of Cloud Chaser. And didn’t Storm Cloud look ominous as the Brent Lilley-trained five-year-old stretched out to put a gap on talented youngsters such as Is That A Bid, Royal Charlotte and Whizzbang Dan.
The Lilley/Alford combo brought up a race-to-race double in the CUB Pace, Race 7, with talented fast-class performer Sicario rating 1:55.1 to defeat Professor Tom over 1690m.
Yesterday’s daytime trots were at Shepparton and Abbey Turnbull continued her impressive rise up the ranks with a winning double.
Turnbull piloted Russell Jack-prepared Gunning home in the Central Tyre Service Trot before capturing the last race, the Neatline Homes Pace, aboard Passion Play for Ian Ward.
.jpg)
First-Starter Form
A quick guide to today’s horses making their trots debut
Ballarat
Race 2
Bacardi Chic (3yo filly by Bacardi Lindy out of Mysteriousillusion)
First foal to the races from unraced Sierra Kosmos mare. Granddam produced Im Princess Sophie, a 14-time winner who ran second in the 2017 South Australian Trotters Cup.
Trained and driven by Burrumbeet’s David Magri.
Trial form has been nothing to write home about.
Race 3
Beyond Delight (2yo colt by Bettors Delight out of Whatahottie)
Colt is second foal to the races out of Whatahottie, a six-time winning daughter of Christian Cullen. From same family has Emiliana, Novas Delight and Christian Miracle. If you delve back through the lines of the family tree, you’ll find stacks of winners.
Trained by Emma Stewart, driven by Greg Sugars.
Produced a 56.8 half to win a trial comfortably at Ballarat and is unbeaten in two trial runs.
Terang
Race 1
Molon Lave (3yo gelding by Fling It out of Atego Lilly)
First foal from a seven-time winning daughter of Digger Almahurst.
Trained and driven by Arthur Lasgis.
Has not caught the eye at trials.
Race 2
Elli Joh (2yo filly by Rock N Roll Heaven out of My Double Dream)
Her dam is a 29-time winner who secured $669k in stake earnings on the racetrack, pacing a 1:49.4 mile rate in the States.
This filly is a half-sister to 15-time winner Double Your Bet (15 wins from 125 starts, 1:52.4, $177k).
Trained by Courtney Slater and driven by Jackie Barker.
Has trialled professionally.
Classicmajor (2yo gelding by Art Major out of Lierre Noir)
Dam was a lovable daughter of Bettors Delight. Lierre Noir won 15 races from 89 starts and secured over $131k in stakes. This is her first foal to the racetrack.
Trained by Ararat’s Terry Young and driven by Grant Campbell.
Rated 2:06.0 to win trial at Maryborough in March.
Goodtime Mach (2yo gelding by Mach Three out of Bella Joy)
Dam won 17 races from 42 starts for $109k in prizemoney.
This fella is a full-brother to 17-time winner from 31 starts Supersonic Miss, who went 1:52.6 in winning at Bendigo in 2016, and won the New South Wales Breeders Challenge for two-year-old fillies when in the care of Mark Purdon in 2015. Won the Tontine for Kerryn Manning in 2016. Also a half-brother to talented Goodtime Heaven, who hails from the same trainer as this guy, and 31-time winner Jukebox Music, who earnt $334k from 263 race starts.
Trained by Courtney Slater and driven by James Herbertson.
Won a trial at Terang last Saturday.
Race 3
I Stand Alone (5yo gelding by Danny Bouchea out of Diamond Insitu)
A half-brother to gun trotter Sparkling Success (17 wins from 39 starts, 1:53.9, $423k) and hails from the same stable.
Ran second at a Terang trial last Saturday
Trained and driven by John Meade.
