The magic of Gavin Lang was clear at Tabcorp Park Melton on Saturday night, one of the highlights of a big weekend that also saw a New South Wales pacer continue his winning ways ahead of a likely Pryde’s EasiFeed Victoria Cup tilt, ID18 contender Chicago Bull notch yet another triumph in the west and Tayla French record a memorable first win in the sulky courtesy of an aggressive drive.
So let’s Catch-Up on the action…
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Lang’s Pixel-perfect drive
If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.
So it was on Saturday night at Tabcorp Park Melton for star reinsman Gavin Lang in the My Lightning Blue Free-for-All when, at the quarter pole, favourite punters had to be shivering with Carlas Pixel basically last and with no access to daylight.
But cool as always in a crisis, ‘the Ice Man’ calmly guided Carlas Pixel, trained by Dean Braun, along the inside before bursting through between horses at the finish for a narrow win.
Lang has long had a way of making the improbable eventuate and his execution on this occasion was pixel-perfect.
“I know I was giving nice horses a couple of lengths start, but she’s really in the zone at the moment,” Lang told Trots Vision.
“The tempo of the race was against anything back in the field to run on, so I bit the bullet (and stayed in). The sprint lane’s been extended now, so the one horse shifted into it and that gave me a clear passage straight through the middle.”
The Carlas Pixel win was one of four for Lang on Friday night, his others Wayne Potter-trained Itz Billy Hillis in the DNR Logistics Pace – this fella had promised to break his metro duck for weeks, the highly regarded Maori Law in the Yabby Dam Racing Trot for trainer Bill Morgan, and Our Sir Ivanhoe in the third heat of the HERO Battle of the Claimers for trainer Carson Millar.
HEAR FROM MELTON’S WINNING DRIVERS WITH THIS WEEK’S ALL CLEAR:
Something for Kate
Kate Gath scorched into the new season at Tabcorp Park Melton on Friday night with a treble – and three was very nearly four, Three Ways pipped at the post in the My Lightning Blue Free-for-All.
Gath piloted High Rolling to win the TAB Multiplier Pace for trainer Roy Roots Jnr, Van Mara for husband trainer Andy Gath in the www.160inchtv.com.au Pace, and Ymbro Wasted for trainer – and Kate’s father – Peter Thompson in the Cogs Trot.
Alpha targets ID18
Shane Tritton confirmed today My Alpha Rock would target #ID18.
“He’s strong. He’s definitely the sort of horse who will take the race to them,” the trainer said of the weekend’s impressive Club Menangle Free for All Group 3 winner.
“The Inter Dominion is the main goal. The style of racing will suit. He’s flown under the radar a bit I think in all the discussions about best horse. We’ve only given him 10 starts and he’s won eight of them, and the couple of times he was beaten it wasn’t really his fault.”
The six-year-old made it three straight successes on Saturday night over 2300m, taking the sting out of his fast-class rivals with a 26.6 third quarter, recording a 1:55.3 mile rate in a 7.7m win over Power Of Red.
The Pryde’s EasiFeed Victoria Cup is also on the agenda for the Tritton-trained talent.
Tritton also confirmed Gotta Go Ya Hu and Yayas Hot Spot were both likely to head towards the Vic Cup, which is shaping as a ripping contest under the spring stars at HQ.
MY ALPHA ROCK NZ takes out the Group 3 Club Menangle FFA giving Lauren Tritton her 800th winner! #Trots pic.twitter.com/x683Wq6Fnt
— Ashlea Brennan (@ashbrennanphoto) September 1, 2018
Grimson firing
Off the back of his best season yet in the sulky (60 wins), Jason Grimson is off to a fine start in 2018-19.
The Elderslie horseman, 25, trained and drove two winners at Menangle on Saturday night.
Village Witch, an eight-year-old mare whose form belies her age, scored her 21st win in the Dilly Drought Drive Pace in 1:55.2 to bring up the first of Grimson’s double, before Victorian-owned Ideal Lifestyle took the Night Markets September 8 Mares Pace over 1609m in 1:50.3.
Grimson went within a head – on an $81.90 shot – of making it a treble with Lots More Art just failing to run down Controversial in the opener.
That’s the 2017-18 season done!
Our little stable exceeded our expectations this season. Combined we trained 39 winners for $289,990 in stakes. Jason drove 60 winners as well as also… https://t.co/qRyfJed28b— Wilkins Grimson Racing (@wilkgrimracing) September 1, 2018
Tom terrific
Former Victorians Robert Caton and Tiana McMahon partnered for success in South Australia on Saturday night with four-year-old grey Call Me Tom taking out the Coca Cola Pace at Globe Derby.
By Jet Laag – king of the greys – Call Me Tom sat in the slipstream of leader Villa Boy before peeling to the outside in the straight and finding the line best to score by 7.2m, rating 1:59.8 over 1800m.
Ken Rogers, Jayden Brewer and Danielle Hill all scooped winning doubles at Globe.
Call Me Tom!!
In what was my best season last season, This new season just started pretty bloody well!!— Tiana McMahon (@McmahonTiana) September 1, 2018
Best in the west
Unbeaten in six runs this prep, Chicago Bull will now go for a freshen-up before returning for a tilt at the Pryde’s EasiFeed Victoria Cup, tweeted Adam Hamilton on Friday night.
The Perth champ had 7.9m on runner-up Runrunjimmydunn in the Nexus Health & Wellness Expo Pace at Gloucester Park for father/son team Gary Hall Snr and Jnr, clocking a 1:56.4 mile rate over 2536m.
Post-Vic Cup, the New Zealand Trotting Cup is on the agenda for Chicago Bull, who will then target the Inter Dominion in Victoria from December 1.
Another armchair drive for @GaryHallJnr on the Bull! @OfficialRWWA @SkyRacingAU @fromthejockeys pic.twitter.com/OtugUgTTLd
— Gareth Hall (@ghall27) August 31, 2018
Lively drive lands French triumph
An aggressive drive aboard Illawong Lively by Tayla French saw the 21-year-old register her first win in the sulky at Kilmore on Friday night.
French produced a pearler, showing a thorough understanding of her horse’s form by sending the eight-year-old to the breeze in the sprint race from barrier 10 on the second row.
When French hit the go button, Illawong Lively found stacks and held off a late swoop by Village Skipper to land the Cadell Trading Pace.
Illawong Lively has now won 11 races and is trained by Lynne Mercieca, who is never afraid to provide opportunities to concession drivers.
Tassie treble
Brothers Ben and Mark Yole dominated the Hobart meeting on Friday night with a treble.
Mornings rose in the first for the trainer/driver partnership, the former Victorian filly taking out the Roberts Bridgewater Sprint Lane Pace, before well-travelled Pushkin won the Crown Lager Pace to make it a Yole race-to-race double.
Shadow Control won the Mini Trotters Return in October Pace to cap the treble, holding off stablemate Stylish Trend.
Ben Yole was the seventh winningest trainer last year nationally behind Emma Stewart, Grant Dixon, Kerryann Turner, Darrel Graham, Gary Hall Snr and Steve Turnbull.
Ben Yole has a fair chance of equaling his Tasmanian state record of training wins in a season in Hobart Race 6. He set the record of 124-wins last season. pic.twitter.com/GfXWn5vZUH
— Duncan Dornauf (@ddornauf) August 31, 2018
