Where to start… what a weekend! Big guns back at the track with ID18 no doubt front of mind, a new superstar on the Grand Circuit stage and a marvellous trotter almost makes the ultimate fairytale return.
Each week Trots Media will bring you the wrap from around the traps via thetrots.com.au Catch-Up, featuring the star performers, performances and anything else that’s happening in the harness world.
Vic – Golden return for Goddess
“She’s big and strong and certainly has a good motor in there,” Kerryn Manning told Trots Vision after driving Our Golden Goddess to an impressive first-up win in Saturday night’s Hygain Our Maestro Free for All at Melton.
“Her fitness level will improve a lot after that,” Manning added.
Our Golden Goddess led from gate three and gave nothing else a chance, scooting away for an 8.6m win in 1:54.3 over Berisari and Keep On Rocking, who raced breeze and leader’s back respectively in the 2240m event.
The Inter Dominion is a likely target this year for the Art Major five-year-old, who has won 15 of her 26 career assignments to date.
“She’s very relaxed, she’s always grumpy … and we like her like that,” Manning said.
Hear more from Kerryn in this week’s edition of All Clear.
Vic – King of the Trotters dominates features
Trainer Brent Lilley doubled up for feature race trotting success at Melton via Enrolled in the Group 2 Seelite Windows and Doors Winter Trotters Cup Final and Kyvalley Blur in the Group 3 Sumthingaboutmaori Trotters Free for All.
Enrolled benefited from a 10/10 steer by Josh Duggan, who angled the son of Rocknroll Hanover to the leader’s back at the mile after starting from gate five.
Race favourite Une Belle Allure looked to have victory in her keep at the home turn, but Enrolled pulled out of the slipstream and charged home to score by 2.1m over fast-finishing stablemate Our Twentyten, with Une Belle Allure third.
The winner – who won the 4YO Trotting Empire Stallions Vicbred Super Series Final in 2017 – rated 1:59.0 and paid $47.10.
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Lilley quinellaed the Free-for-All with Kyvalley Blur and returning superstar Keystone Del, the winner driven by Chris Alford with Duggan in the bike aboard the second horse.
Keystone Del was first-up from a long spell and gave a great sight, only just pipped by his race-fit stablemate in a rate of 1:57.3.
Race favourite Tornado Valley ran third at $1.20.
Click here for more on Kyvalley Blur’s big win
Probably a touch unfair that Keystone Del has gone under. Pretty big performance and great to the the champ back #ID18
— Blake Redden (@BlakeRedden) July 21, 2018
Vic – Young star Lochs in another victory
Supremely talented Lochinvar Art continued to win fans with a commanding victory in Saturday night’s Vincent @ Alabar Tatlow Stakes for trainer Laura Crossland and driver David Moran.
The exciting two-year-old rated 1:55.7 and had more than 20m on nearest rival Messerati in the $50,000 Group 2, taking the son of Modern Art’s career stake earnings to in excess of $100,000 with six wins from nine starts as a baby.
Moran confirmed once again post-race that the preference would be for Lochinvar Art to head to the paddock now rather than make the late payment for the TAB Breeders Crown.
Can’t wait to see what this fella can do at three!
Hear from David Moran in this week’s edition of All Clear.
Vic – Sierra sisters doing it for themselves
Sisters Tangoingwithsierra and Dancingwithsierra both won at Melton on Saturday night for trainer Gary Hoban and reinsman Zac Phillips.
Both are out of the excellent producing mare Sierra Tango, who also boasts four-time winner Waltzingwithsierra.
Qld – Feature race double snares Craven’s Red team $20k bonus
Matthew Craven had 20,000 more reasons to smile after capping a superb Queensland carnival for the team in red with victory in the AQWA Constructions Queensland Derby with Master Moonlite.
The win in the $75,540 three-year-old classic followed Craven’s Group 2 Queensland Trotters Cup triumph with Our Dreamlover last weekend, the south-west horseman securing a $20,000 bonus courtesy of carnival sponsor UBET for two feature race victories.
“To get up here and enjoy the warmer weather and to achieve a result like this, this is a huge thrill, and we’re very appreciative to UBET for putting up the bonus,” Craven said.
A Massive thank you to everyone for all there well wishes after last night Derby win! A Huge thank you to everyone behind team Red, your dedication is very much appreciated! And to all owners not only in Doug, thank you very much for the support & belief!#getinvolved #dreambig pic.twitter.com/igEsVwIjUI
— Matthew Craven (@Mattiejcraven) July 22, 2018
Master Moonlite has now won three races from seven starts for Craven since joining the camp from New Zealand.
The powerful son of Art Major revelled over the 2680m on Saturday night, rating 1:57.3, and punters who saw him savaging the line last weekend against a slick last quarter will have played with confidence at the juicy odds of $17.80.
Local star Colt Thirty One finished second, overhauled in the last stride by Master Moonlite, while Fame Assured ran third to give the Grant Dixon stable both minor podium positions.
Race favourite Duplicated finished fifth after leading.
Craven confirmed today the TAB Breeders Crown was the next target for Master Moonlite.
Group 2 2018 Aqwa Constructions Queensland Derby – MASTER MOONLITE NZ / @Mattiejcraven pic.twitter.com/RcziOKU9Mw
— Ashlea Brennan (@ashbrennanphoto) July 21, 2018
Qld – What a Ride for Kiwi champs in Blacks A Fake
Let It Ride way too good in the Blacks A Fake! Well done @TimButtRacing pic.twitter.com/G6vSFpxx15
— Brittany Graham (@BrittanyTGraham) July 21, 2018
Kiwi champions Tim Butt and Dexter Dunn combined for Grand Circuit success at Albion Park in the UBET Blacks A Fake Queensland Championship on Saturday night.
Ultra-impressive four-year-old Let It Ride cruised away from his rivals for one of the easiest wins you’ll see at this level, the son of Rock N Roll Heaven won with 13.4m to nearest rival Atomic Red at the end of the 2680m trip.
Let It Ride went 1:54.8 after trailing Atomic Red for most of the trip.
When Dunn peeled off the pegs turning for home the race was Let It Ride’s in the blink of an eye.
Let It Ride now has his first Grand Circuit success and boasts six wins on the trot – among those a Breeders Challenge Final three starts back.
SA – Vic trainers dominate Southern Cross heats
Trainers Kevin Brough, Brett Bunfield and Emma Stewart enjoyed UBET Southern Cross Series heat success on Saturday night at Globe Derby.
Drumborg’s Brough produced Bayview Harbour to win the three-year-old colts and geldings’ first heat by 4.6m with Michael Bellman in the sulky, the son of Art Major rating 1:59.8 for the 2230m trip from behind the leader in the run.
Stewart won the second heat of the 3YO boys with Thats Perfect, the Art Major colt rating 1:59.1 with Sidney Van Den Brande aboard.
Bunfield combined with local superstar Dani Hill to win the 3YO fillies’ first heat with Saphirique, the daughter of Bettors Delight posting a 2:01.1 mark to defeat Stewart-trained Shes Fine.
David Harding bookended the Globe Derby program and Hill – who comfortably leads the SA drivers’ premiership – racked up another treble.
Meanwhile, on Friday night at Globe Derby Victorian trainer/driver Nathan Jack doubled up with his smart two-year-olds Animal (son of Art Major) and Young Rooster (son of Well Said) in the UBET 2YO Southern Cross heats.
A float breakdown didn’t stop Bayview Harbour winning a Southern Cross heat at GDP for trainer Kevin Brough and reinsman Michael Bellman. pic.twitter.com/6Qh7sqAIjQ
— Graham Fischer (@caught_fish) July 22, 2018
NSW – Crocker back in the winners’ circle
Fast-class stalwart Major Crocker returned to the winners’ list at Menangle on Saturday night.
Having his first run for trainer Michael Doltoff, the ex-Victorian asserted his authority off the arm for reinsman Michael Towers and was never headed, posting a 1:52.3.
Two other former Victorians in Egodan (for Kevin Pizzuto and KerryAnn Turner) and War Dan Destroyer (Doltoff/Towers) also won on Saturday night.
Jason Grimson trained and driven Village Witch won the feature event, the Group 3 Garrards Carlas Pixel, in 1:55.5.
WA – Bull runs rings around rivals at GP
Chicago Bull continued to slam dunk his way towards ID18 with a win at Gloucester Park on Friday night for Gary Hall Snr and Jnr.
The star five-year-old son of Bettors Delight led from four and basically cruised to victory, scoring by 4.7m in 1:56.8.
The Bull has now won 33 races from 53 starts for over $1.5million in stakemoney.
#TheBull! @GaryHallJnr cut the ribbons and Chicago Bull came home in 54.9 after 2530m… #WAHarness
: @scottyhamilton pic.twitter.com/YNA6WxxVlt
— RWWA Harness (@RWWA_Harness) July 20, 2018
