When Rebecca East arrived home in the wee small hours of Sunday morning she would have worn the satisfied grin of a successful long day at the office after landing her first Saturday night double at Melton.
East, who made the eight-hour round trip from her stables at Heywood in western Victoria, had runners engaged in the first and last races on the program.
Four-year-old mare Eastbro Chrissy ($3.10 fav) scored her first win since taking out the Mount Gambier Gold Cup in March when she led all the way in the Dynamic Print Group Pace in a mile rate of 1:56.4.
Driver Michael Bellman said he was buoyed with the mare’s winning chance when he was able to find the front.
“When we found the top I was pretty confident as she is not a bad filly when she is up on the speed. It was a rare find for her to get in front but she did win the Mount Gambier Cup from the chair so we weren’t too concerned,” Bellman said.
“Bec has a fair metro team coming down each week now so this mare isn’t just a float filler and credit to Bec for the job she does,” he said.
Recent Horsham Cup winner Operative Line completed East’s memorable evening when he proved too strong for his rivals in an action-packed Mimosa Homes Free For All.
The $1.90 favourite Code Bailey and Our Luciano took part in a spirited two-horse ‘war’ for the lead which resulted in a blistering 25.7 first quarter, one of the fastest in recent memory at Melton.
Meanwhile James Herbertson was quietly chuckling to himself on Operative Line, who lobbed along towards the rear of the small five-horse field while waiting for the leaders to come up for air.
When Herbertson eased Operative Line ($11) out to challenge around the home turn, the son of Betting Line quickly swooped on the lead before surging clear in the home straight, scoring by eight metres in a slick mile rate of 1:50.8.
Herbertson admitted the frantic early speed sat easily with him.
“It was good, we needed something like that to happen and we were able to take advantage of it and I felt we were far enough off the leaders to not be really working early,” Herbertson said.
“We revved up the last 500 and he put them away quite well and, as always, Bec had him pretty well spot on,” he said.
Earlier in the night the Julie Douglas-trained Triple Rock Saint chalked up his first metropolitan win since April last year when he led all the way to take out the Gordon Rothacker Championship Final.
With Alex Ashwood in the sulky, Triple Rock Saint ($6.50) was able to hold off stablemate and heat winner Hes No Romeo, who had the cosy run behind the leader, in a mile rate of 1:54.3.
Ashwood said finding the pegs was instrumental in the six-year-old’s return to the winner’s circle.
“He hasn’t found the fence for a while and he’s been playing the ratings game. He’s been up and down in the ratings for the past 12 months and he’s more than capable of doing what he did tonight,” Ashwood said.
Accomplished reinsman Daryl Douglas found himself in the feature race winner’s stall when he partnered Ijustcantseeit ($1.65 fav) to an all-the-way win in the $20,000 Vicbred Platinum Homegrown (2YO Trotters).
Trainer Rebecca Morrissey said the daughter of Wishing Stone is heading for the spelling paddock.
“She is going for a well-earned break now,” Morrissey said.
“I think after the year I’ve had, I’ve had such a good year and she’s now won two races and she deserves to win two because she’s got so much talent,” she said.
The Jayne Davies-prepared and Chris Alford-driven colt River Storm ($2.50 fav) made a one-act affair of the Vicbred Platinum Homegrown (2YO Pacers).
“We found the right horse to trail up, which took us everywhere we needed to go, and all he had to do was sprint up the straight,” Alford said.
