Allan McDonough made the most of a late call-up when he steered the Clayton Tonkin-trained pacer Like A Wildfire to victory on Saturday night at Melton.
Second-up following a short spell, Like A Wildfire settled towards the rear of the field from his second row barrier and McDonough was able to latch onto the back of Triple Eight for a cart into the race with 800 metres to travel.
Like A Wildfire ($7.50) balanced up on straightening before reeling in Triple Eight over the concluding stages to score by a metre and a half. The fast-finishing Bach was a metre away third.
McDonough said he stepped into the breach after the pacer’s regular driver David Moran was delayed at his Shepparton stables.
“I was heading out onto the track around 3.30 this afternoon when Clayton said there was a change of plans for me to drive the horse after David had an issue with one of his horses,” McDonough said.
Like A Wildfire was beaten into fifth place when resuming in the Italian Cup three weeks ago.
“I got carted back around the home turn, but he really hit the line once he got clear and his sectionals were off the chart,” he said.
McDonough said the nine-year-old raced best when his runs were spaced.
“As he has got older and feeling his joints he isn’t as sharp when you back him up, so we try and keep him fresh,” he said.
Like A Wildfire has now won four of his past five starts at Melton and McDonough believes he could contest better races later in the year.
“Given a soft trip he is hard to hold out in any class, and if he has good numerical form at the time then a race like the Victoria Cup is not out of the question,” he said.
Like A Wildfire has now won 28 races on the way to amassing more than $425,000 in prizemoney.
