The Chris Lang-trained Bullion Harry made it back-to-back feature country victories when he led all the way in the Group 3 Shepparton Trotters Cup on Friday night.
One of three Lang runners in the race, Bullion Harry was sooled to the lead shortly after the start by John Caldow before being able to dictate the middle stages of the race to suit himself.
Caldow increased the tempo during the last lap and Bullion Harry ($16) reeled off a 56.7 last 800 metres in defeating stablemates Courage Stride and the $2 favourite Ollivici.
Caldow acknowledged Lang’s training prowess in producing Bullion Harry in career best form.
“Chris is just a great trainer and he has turned this horse around to get him flying at the moment,” Caldow said.
Caldow revealed it was his intention to press forward from his wide front row draw.
“Chris suggested that I run the gate and just see where I lobbed,” he said.
“And with Courage Stride being a four-year-old up in class I thought he would probably want to take a sit, so it worked out perfectly for me.”
Caldow admitted he was confident after Bullion Harry took out the John Slack Memorial Ballarat Trotters Cup when racing outside the leader in late July.
“Once I got that comfortable first half, I thought Bullion Harry would take some running down on his Ballarat run,” he said.
The son of Muscle Hill has now won 12 races with 11 placings from only 38 starts for prizemoney earnings of more than $166,000.
Bullion Harry is raced by Pauline Matthews, whose husband Richard passed away in November last year.
She is no doubt hoping for another big-race success when the Andy Gath-trained Catch A Wave lines up in the $2.1m TAB Eureka at Menangle next Saturday night.
