St Arnaud was home to two time-honoured races steeped in tradition early this week, with finals of the Central Victorian Pacing Championship and Central Victorian Trotting Championship run and won on Monday.
First held at Boort for a stake of four hundred pounds ($800) in 1960 when Miracle Echo, driven by former HRV steward Rod Osborne, scored in a mile rate of 2:11.4 over 11 furlongs, this year’s event for pacers was sponsored by the St Arnaud Sporting Club.
The feature, which was conducted over 2150 metres from a mobile start and carried a purse of $25,000, went to heat winner Double The Hunter. The four-year-old Camlach-Double Header gelding is trained at Carisbrook by Tim Mortlock and raced in partnership by him and mother Helen.
Driven once again by Jack Laugher, Double The Hunter had luck on his side when So Serious, who scorched away from outside the front line to lead, went off stride at the first turn. This allowed Double The Hunter to assume control, and after being rated to perfection he just lasted to defeat Charlton hope Cee Cee In America (three pegs), who was eased away from the markers by Ryan Sanderson on the home turn and just missed by a nose in a thrilling finish.
Gipsy Princess (four pegs) used the sprint lane for third 4.7 metres away, with the mile rate recorded in 1:59.0 (last half 58.2, last quarter 29.3).
It wasn’t until 1984 when the Trotting Championship, for a stake of $1800, came into vogue at Boort, with John Koek’s Admiral Aaron – a smart horse that later went through his grades – first successful over 2654 metres in a mile rate of 2:11.9.
It was a semi-upset in Monday’s trotting final (2520 metres) sponsored by Weir’s supermarket when Double Helix gave trainer Phillip Giles his biggest win in the sport.
Jumping to the front from the stand with Jackie Barker in the sulky, Double Helix – bred by Cudgee’s John and Mary Meade – was allowed to bowl along without any challengers before the race changed dramatically at the bell when favourite Just A Bit Touchy was pulled out of the event.
Showing no signs of stopping turning for home, Double Helix greeted the judge with 7.1 metres to spare over 40 metre backmarker Blue Coman, who raced forward at the bell to park outside the winner during the last lap. Dels Destiny (four pegs at bell) was third, a further 11.7 metres away. The mile rate was 2:05.7 (last half 62, last quarter 31.4).
Double Helix is raced by Giles and his wife Tammy.
Barker finished with a treble after scoring earlier in the day with Sassyola for Melton’s Dianne Giles and Presidential Change for grandfather Jim.
