Some of the bits and pieces that caught Tim O’Connor’s eye in the world of harness racing…
THE HERO…
ABBY SANDERSON
Wednesday night was a special one for the young driver when she secured the 100th winner of her career at Bendigo.
The Murchison-based 20-year-old reached the milestone with an all-the-way win aboard Kalarney Prince in the Petersen Westbrook Cameron Lawyers Bendigo Trot.
Sanderson started in the sulky during the 2019-20 season and has feature race wins in the 2024 Mildura Pacing Cup and 2023 VHRC Caduceus 3YO Classic to her name.
She is also crafting a career in the media, and is well known for her hosting role on Wager Wednesday and for her efforts as a regular contributor with Harness Racing Victoria on Sky Racing.
Well done, Abbs!
ONE FOR THE DIARY…
BIG NIGHT AT BRAY
The second running of the Ballarat and District Trotting Club’s Rising Star has been set down for Thursday, June 11.
The Rising Star is a two-year-old pacing contest worth $20,000 and importantly carries an invite from the slot holder (BDTC / Durham Park) to compete in the $500,000 Protostar at Albion Park on Saturday, July 11.
Last year, Emma Stewart-trained Cardigan Dan won the inaugural Rising Star and went on to finish seventh in the Protostar.
LIGHTS OUT…
BENDIGO SET FOR A SPELL
Lord’s Raceway will soon take a break from hosting duties as the Bendigo Harness Racing Club undertakes two major infrastructure projects.
The projects start on Monday, July 6, with LED track lighting and stable area roof expected to be completed by mid-October.
Bendigo will race up until July 1 before Ballarat, Kilmore and Melton share its regular Wednesday night timeslot.
MORE SUCCESS…
WAGER WEDNESDAY DELIVERS AGAIN!
Shepparton Harness Racing Club’s popular weekly segment produced three winners in recent days.
The Wager Wednesday faithful would have been happy with Star To Fall (tipped by trainer Craig Turnbull), King Saint (tipped by driver Ellen Tormey) and Hungry Hogarth (tipped by driver Luke Dunne) all winning their respective races at Menangle, Kilmore and Mildura.
Keep an eye out for Wager Wednesday each week across the Shepparton Harness Racing Club social media channels, and on RSN, SEN Track and Racing.com.
FEATURE RACING…
CUP DAY IN THE GOLDFIELDS!
Looking forward to being on track for the Maryborough meeting this Sunday.
The club has free family entertainment planned, with the $20,000 Maryborough Pacing Cup headlining the racing action.
Fields for the meeting will be revealed tomorrow afternoon.
ONE FOR THE BLACK BOOK…
BOULEVARD BART
This bloke trailed superbly ahead of his planned return to the races on May 15, but was scratched after an issue in the warm-up.
Keep an eye out for the Courtney Barton-trained pacer as I fancy he’s set for a good campaign.
SOMETHING TO PONDER…
If you’ve got a few hours free, it’s worth having a read of Harness Racing Victoria’s Venue Network White Paper.
The document was delivered at last week’s Trots Clubs Victoria Networking Conference at Rich River Golf Club and is a long-term framework designed to strengthen the sustainability, relevance and future viability of harness racing in Victoria.
In the words of HRV CEO Matt Isaacs: “This is about ensuring harness racing in Victoria remains sustainable, relevant and investable for the long term.”
There’s plenty to dissect, so jump in and have a look here.
Chances are you’re about to lose. For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.
The opinions expressed in The Forum are those of the author and may not be attributed to or represent policies of Harness Racing Victoria, which is the state authority and owner of thetrots.com.au.
