Few days bowl a maiden over like Humbletonian Day at Maryborough today, when 10 horses will not only record their first breakthrough wins but claim plenty of bonus cash along the way.
In addition to the $7000 Vicbred bonus for horses aged two, three and four, Harness Breeders Victoria will gift each winning breeder $250 while Victorian Square Trotters Association and host club Maryborough are offering further bonuses. You can learn more via our yarn on trainer Rebecca Wardlaw and her mare Sucralose, who’s hoping for a first win in start 43.
It’s a cracking day of fairytales and dreams come true and we’ll ride the bumps with today’s thetrots.com.au #Humbo18 live blog.
5.35pm: Jamieson Steele turned start 18 into win number one with a dominant display in the last of today’s Humbo races, careering away in the Harness Breeders Victoria 3YO Vicbred Pace.
It was a huge result for owner-trainer-breeder Ken Ward and fellow connections Carissa and Pat Ward, with their Million Dollar Cam/Lady Jade Skipper three-year-old dominating in reinsman David Miles’ hands and winning by 13.4m.
David Miles spoke to Nikkita Ross post-race on Trots Vision:
“He’s a pretty nice horse this horse. Ken and Pat have done a great job with him, he’s just a big, dumb slow learner and tonight he’s finally put it all together and he’s going places this horse. There’s a lot of wins in store for him. (Humbletonian Day) is great for these horses who have battled all year to win a race.”
5.20pm: Emijay has survived a mid-race mistake and a protest to salute in the Harness Breeders Victoria 3YO Vicbred Pace, breaking her maiden status in start number two.
The $1.30 favourite, who is by Shadow Play out of Quick Method, looked to have it all in her keeping before making a mid-race mistake and galloping, surrendering the front.
Trainer-driver Todd Matthews settled her again and from leader’s back she knuckled down in the straight to pip Musake and salute for owner-breeder Robert Rothacker and co-owner Carol Canfield.
Todd Matthews spoke to Nikkita Ross post-race on Trots Vision:
“I was really confident coming into today and she come out of the gate good. Not sure what happened, she’s always such a lovely pacer, I haven’t got a head-check on her, it just caught me by surprise a little bit. Bruce (Morgan) has been crook, he used to train her and he asked me if I could take her on for him and Rob. They’ve been good friends for a long time, so I’ve been lucky enough to help out there. She has always shown a fair bit of ability, so just hopefully we can iron out a few more little things and we will be looking at a nice filly this time next year.”
4.15pm: The punters crunched Our Sir Jack in with the TAB.com.au and he rewarded them and trainer-driver Matt Craven with a dominant display to comfortably win his Harness Breeders Victoria Vicbred Pace for those four and over.
The Mister Big five-year-old, who is out of Jolaurella, has shown plenty of tricks and tested the patience of his owner-breeders Terry Lewis, David Lewis and Wayne Krause but they were rewarded today with his maiden victory at start four.
Craven placed Our Sir Jack three-back in the running line and then advanced three-wide with 700m to go to score ahead of Mogiana and Candy Mandy.
“He’s been a lot of hard work. Obviously the reason we persevered with him is because of today, he showed he has a lot of ability but, oh my word, he has a lot of tricks. He had his first start as a two-year-old and he went into a mad gallop.
“There was nothing wrong with him, we just stuck him in a paddock. Probably six to eight months ago my brother said there’s no good leaving him in the paddock Terry, we’ve got to get him in and try him again. We always knew he had ability, but he has been hard work. We sent him down to Mathew’s and if things go his way you could see what he can do today.”
3.45pm: Owner-breeder Garry Loats patience has paid off as Metro Man delivered a heart-starter with a thrilling final straight burst to come from the back of the field and salute in the Harness Breeders Victoria Vicbred Pace for those four and over.
Trainer-driver David Murphy’s lightly raced Metropolitan gelding, who is out of Beach Kat, broke his maiden status just two days before his fifth birthday when he beat leader Pride Lands, who had strolled away to a significant advantage and looked to have the race on toast.
He would have to settle for second with Mystery Writer filling out the placings.
David Murphy spoke to Nikkita Ross post-race on Trots Vision:
“I wasn’t happy at all through the run and still wasn’t happy at the 400. Normally these days when you go that wide on the track you just don’t get anywhere near it, but as soon as I pulled him out he got into gear and credit to the horse it was like he saw the winning post and said ‘that’s my job, that’s what I’m going to get too first’.
“It was really good. He put the writing on the wall Monday. He was first up after a long break without a trial, so you always worry about how they back up, but he’s obviously backed up pretty good.
“I always thought he had a good motor and good speed but he was always very awkward, as you can see he’s a very big lad. He still looks like he’s six months into growing into himself yet, although he’s just about to turn five. Early on last prep he injured a hock, which has probably been the making of him, I think that extra time. To get your Vicbred bonus right at the death knock is pretty cool.
“When you miss your two/three year old racing you just go through the grades and see where he lobs in life, but, I know this is a maiden race today, but the way he went about it he just might make a metro horse at some stage.”
3.15pm: A miss-step late by Allawart Bob enabled Atego Titan to rip through and break the four-year-old’s maiden status at start number 17 for trainer Tony Berg.
The Harness Breeders Victoria Vicbred Trot catered for those four and over and it proved an eventful finish.
Favourite Schippers, having start 13 for Maree Caldow, led but tired late and was swamped by three. It appeared Allawart Bob had it sewn up but Laurie Young’s gelding broke in his final strides and Atego Titan and Danny Elle swooped to finish first and second.
Reinsman Mark Hayes said the winner Atego Titan, by Allawart Ray out of Cathrins Image, would be off to new owners.
Mark Hayes spoke to Nikkita Ross post-race on Trots Vision:
“That’s what these races are great for, they give everybody a chance to win a race. There’s going to be 10 horses that win a race and get their bonus that probably may not get one any other time. He’s been sold, after the race he gets picked up by new owners.”
2.30pm: There can’t be too many maidens left in the barn at Emma Stewart’s Ballarat stables but there’s one less now after Beach Babe Nikky saluted in the Harness Breeders Victoria 2YO Vicbred Pace.
The half-sister to Nitro Nikky is out of Nickle Miss and by Somebeachsomewhere, and was guided carefully to the front from gate two by reinsman Chris Alford, with his main danger Siedra Caleb on his back.
David Miles’ polemarker showed plenty of spirit in the final straight to pressure the short-priced favourite but Beach Babe Nikky held on to register a 457th win for Alford this season and a 307th for trainer Stewart – both jaw-dropping all-time Australian records.
It was also a victory for owner-breeders Andrew Tomlin and Kevin Richards Jnr, who will also scoop up the $7000 Vicbred and $250 Harness Breeders Victoria bonuses.
Chris Alford spoke to Nikkita Ross post-race on Trots Vision:
“I think she’s got the potential Nikkita, she’s a little bit green and doesn’t know a lot about racing yet, but once she switches on I think she will make a nice filly. You would think (she will head to the Home Grown series), unless Clayton and Emma think she has had enough, but I think they rushed her up to get her a two-year-old win before the end of the year so I’m sure she hasn’t won over the $10,000 yet and I’d say that would be the aim.
“She’s just a little bit green and she came out a little bit roughly at Shepparton in her first start, so probably a little bit cautious (early), but when they are only having their second start it’s pretty hard to drive them out real hard under the whip. I think she’ll end up getting natural speed because she’s got it in the race.”
2pm: A satisfying result for owner-breeders Tony Prochilo, Angelo Cammaroto and Mara Scarpino after Magical Ride notches up his maiden win at start three, securing his $7000 Vicbred bonus.
Trainer-driver Matt Craven guided the three-year-old Fling It/Free Rider gelding, a little brother to Need For Speed and Vicbred Platinum winner Magicool, to the front.
He then gapped the field before the final bend off a 28.8 third quarter and won comfortably in the Harness Breeders Victoria 3YO Vicbred Trot.
Matt Craven spoke to Nikkita Ross post-race on Trots Vision:
“I was very pleased. At his first day he showed a bit of speed but he just wasn’t really strong enough. In his next start he didn’t do it all right and got a bit overwhelmed at the start. I wouldn’t say at home his work’s all that impressive, but he does show us a little bit of speed. It was a nice effort today, he probably went better than we expected.
“Being back to the mile and having a nice run in front definitely helped him. He’s got reasonable manners from the mobile, hopefully he can take that back to the stand. We had him advertised during the week, so if someone had have snapped him up they might have got their money back today but anyway, credit to the owners – they’ve been patient with him, he’s had a few little setbacks but they will be rapt.
“If no one takes up the offer to buy him we’ll just look for a T0 somewhere. On that sort of run I’m tipping he can pick up one.”
1.15pm: An early double for Kate and Andy Gath as the reinswoman/trainer duo salute with Explicit Castle in the Harness Breeders Victoria 2YO Vicbred Pace.
Their colt, a Mach Three out of Articulate Castle, is raced by owner-breeder the Castle Family, making it three from three today for the owner-breeders who are scooping up the rich bevy of bonuses on offer.
Kate steered Explicit Castle to the front and controlled the race, aided when favourite Struve lost stride mid-race before recovering to finish third, with Carter Mayson second for Ross and Greg Sugars.
The winner is the legacy of a long line of breeding by the Castle Family, with the colt’s mare a half to the likes of Mother Courage ($465,520) and and Tandias Courage ($305,236), who the syndicate also bred.
Kate Gath spoke to Nikkita Ross post-race on Trots Vision:
“We quite like him, but he just keeps finding little tricks and he hasn’t done on the race track what he can do at home. It’s really good to get his two-year-old win up because he has got the ability, he deserved it and he’s slowly getting better each time. He’s putting it all together and his manners were good today.
“I’m not saying he’s a superstar or anything, but I do think he’s above average and we will head to the Vicbred Platinum with him now.”
12.45pm: It was another owner-breeder celebration in the second as Bob, Susan and Francis Tuddenham enjoy success at start number three for Rock On Shadow, who won the Harness Breeders Victoria 2YO Vicbred Pace for trainer-driver Craig Demmler.
James Rattray’s Rossini won the battle to the first turn and Demmler had to be satisfied with leader’s back, but it proved a godsend with Rock On Shadow mowing down Rossini via the sprint lane to salute by 2.1m in a 1:55.7 mile rate.
The two-year-old Pet Rock colt out of Art Shadow, a Breeders Crown placegetter for the Tuddenhams, fell just 0.7m shy of win number one in his last start at Yarra Valley.
Craig Demmler spoke to Nikkita Ross post-race on Trots Vision:
“He went good. He’s still learning the caper, he’s pretty green. He’s been very impressive at the trials. I was a little bit disappointed he got beaten at Yarra Glen, but I think he is better with a sit and it probably worked in my favour that James come across and I could get cover.
“I got talked into putting him into the Tatlow after the trials because he’s been very impressive – I’ve got a lot of time for him – but I probably should have just gone to a normal country race and won the bonus with him. That brought us back to reality a little bit, he went in these others races and done a good job.
“He’s a late maturer. I’ll just take my time, I might geld him and put him out for a good three months. They’ve got the Homegrown series coming up, it’s $50,000 and looks good, but sometimes you’re better off just looking after the horse and taking your time with them. He’ll tell me when he’s ready, but I’ll see how he pulls up and then we’ll go from there.”
12.15pm: Revenge may be a dish best served cold and Kate Gath ripped through the last of winter’s chill to claim the first of the day, with Dream Mastar holding out Fox Force Five to win the Harness Breeders Victoria 2YO Vicbred Trot.
Only five days after being controversally pipped in a Breeders Crown final after a lost protest, Dream Mastar notched up win number one for owner-breeder Mick Fryar, with the Andover Hall/Dreamlands Nancy colt finding the front and saluting by 2.4m from David Murphy’s promising Fox Force Five.
Kate Gath spoke to Nikkita Ross post-race on Trots Vision:
“It’s so good to get him the two-year-old win. He’s done everything so well, I think he’s earned like $30,000, and done a terrific job. It’s just good to get the win with him and get his bonus and really look forward to his three-year-old season.
“They are such a great incentive and it just shows what the trotters can earn. I’m really happy with him.”
