New Zealand officials were McLovin the run of Andy Gath’s Aldebaran Park Bill Collins Trotters Sprint winner at Tabcorp Park Melton on Saturday night.

They subsequently propelled McLovin into fourth on the $300k Dominion Trot rankings, which were unveiled this morning.

HRNZ media wrote, “McLovin’s win in the Bill Collins Sprint has seen him lock in his Dominion place by leaping from the fringe (#15) to fourth in the rankings. The brave win against fellow Dominion nominee, Tough Monarch, and other leading Australian trotters really threw down a marker as one of the premier trotting performances of the season to date.”

Winning driver Kate Gath (ranked No.12 on the Australian Drivers’ Championship) was also impressed, comparing McLovin to Inter Dominion champion Tornado Valley post-race.

“At home, the feel he gives me, he’s very similar to Tornado (Valley),” she said.

Saturday night was exceptional as McLovin toiled three-wide with no helmet to chase for the final lap.

“The first quarter came up, and then the second quarter and I thought, ‘I’ve got to go now… because if I don’t go now I’m not going to get in the race,” Gath said.

Gath’s quick thinking and faith in McLovin paid off, the seven-year-old trotter covering the most ground the last lap but still good enough to fend off a sprint-laning four-time Group 1 winner (Big Jack Hammer) in a photo.

It was McLovin’s first Group 1 win, but it would be safe to say based on the way he won – and what he beat – it won’t be his last.

His rivals had won 12 prior Group 1s between them.

Marcoola, Sundees Son and Oscar Bonavena head McLovin in the Dominion Trot standings.

The New Zealand Trotting Cup rankings were also updated with Thefixer, Classie Brigade, Chase Auckland, Spankem and Henry Hubert all remaining firm in slots 1-5.
Victorians Cruz Bromac and San Carlo are numbers five and six respectively after third and fourth-place finishes in the Pryde’s EasiFeed Victoria Cup, while Our Uncle Sam dropped one spot to No.8 ahead of Ashley Locaz (11 up to 9) and Ultimate Sniper (9 back to 10).

Smokin By jumped from 26 to 16 after placing in the Methven Cup.

Buster Brady, Ellmers Image and Sicario have all cancelled their NZ Cup ambitions.

 

Picture: McLovin and Kate Gath win the Group 1 Aldebaran Park Bill Collins Trotters Sprint at Tabcorp Park Melton. By Stuart McCormick.