This time last year, Lovemeto was in the paddock with a question mark hovering over his immediate future on the racetrack.
The highly-talented Chris Svanosio-trained New Zealand-bred trotter has battled soundness issues for the majority of his career.
Winding the clock forward 12 months and Lovemeto has not only returned to the track, he has emerged as a genuine contender for next month’s Inter Dominion series in Brisbane.
On Saturday night at Melton, the son of What The Hill lined up in the Aldebaran Park Free For All Trot and Kerryn Manning drove him as if he was the best horse in the race.
Circling the field with a lap to travel, Lovemeto ($3.40) sat parked outside leader Keayang Stuka before outstaying that horse in the concluding stages to get the verdict by a head over the 1720 metre sprint trip.
Svanosio, who has the largest draft with six horses nominated for the Queensland series, revealed that Lovemeto is clearly his number one seed with the first round of heats only three weeks away.
That revelation may raise eyebrows when you consider among Svanosio’s muster is the reigning champion and number one ranked horse, Arcee Phoenix.
Arcee Phoenix, who has not won a race since his 2025 grand final triumph, resumed from a let-up with a midfield finish behind I Am Wilma last week and his place in the series is likely to be determined by his next racetrack appearance.
“He was only just fair first-up here last week and he will need to go a lot better next Saturday night, but I am not going to take him just to make up the numbers” Svanosio said.
Svanosio believes Arcee Phoenix may be feeling the effect of constant racing at the elite level in recent years.
“He raced non-stop for 18 months and perhaps it is starting to catch up with him now,” he said.
“He is working well at home along with Lovemeto, but he needs to produce it on race night.”
Lovemeto will head north in peak form.
“The long distance will suit him up there and he is fit and well,” he said.
Svanosio believes the horse will handle the arduous heats and final campaign.
“I have been ticking him over running him every two weeks and up there I can get him to the beach each afternoon,” he said.
Svanosio is a little surprised by Lovemeto’s 16th ranking, down from his opening position of 20th in order.
“He is a Group 1 winner and his form has been exceptional all the way through,” he said.
“Last year he ran second to The Locomotive in track record time, and I sat parked on him in the Grand Prix running second to Keayang Zahara and that’s as good a form as any.”
