There were emotional scenes after Chissy carried the famous black and white colours of the late Frank Evans to victory in the Insurance House Wedderburn Trotters Cup on Sunday.
Trainer Jason McNaulty organised Evans’ colours to be worn by driver Ryan Sanderson after the 91-year-old’s recent passing and they were first across the line in a thrilling edition of the $14,500 feature.
The seven-year-old gelding won by a head over stablemate and last year’s victor Travel Bug, with Brent Lilley-trained Gil Favour in third. Such was the competitiveness of the race, just 1.6m covered the first five horses across the line.
“It’s just an honour to put on these colours,” Sanderson said.
“Going across the line thinking I’d just won gave me goosebumps, so it was a great thrill.”
McNaulty and his brother Shaun, who is in the ownership of Chissy along with father Noel, were long-time friends of Evans and were mentored by him early in their racing careers.
The horse was named after the late Alan “Chissy” Chisholm, a St Arnaud and Wedderburn club life member, who was Noel’s uncle and also the grandfather of Nick Youngson, the man who trained and drove Chissy’s sire, Danny Bouchea.
Shortly after Chissy’s success, young reinsman Bailey McDonough claimed his first Victorian cup with victory aboard Russell Jack-trained Puntarno Stride.
McDonough, who moved to Victoria from Western Australia last year, produced a clever front-running drive aboard the six-year-old to take out the Loddon Shire Wedderburn Pacing Cup.
While he was getting tired late, Puntarno Stride had just over 2m to spare over place-getters Brallos Pass (Mark Watson/Ellen Tormey) and Zadaka (Greg Norman/Shannon O’Sullivan).
“The pressure kept coming and I probably backed off the speed too much a number of times, but he had enough in the tank,” McDonough, who now works for Avenel trainer David Aiken, said.
“He was all out at the top of the straight, but he kept finding so all credit to him.”
Puntarno Stride was trained by David Miles and the Anthony Butt/Sonya Smith partnership before joining the Jack camp through the middle of last year.
