Chris Svanosio has praised the versatility of his squaregaiter President Roydon, who showed blistering late speed to win his fourth race in succession on Saturday night.

The son of The Pres is this week's focus of the Time Is Money column, which highlights standout performances from PJ Data’s valuable timing system.

There was little pace early in the Woodlands Stud Trot, and President Roydon sat back in the small field of six before reeling off some of the best closing fractions of the night in winning the NR 77 to 100 event.

He produced a slick last 800m of 56.40sec and last 400m of 27.86sec to run down early leader Kheiron and surge past C K Spur to win by nearly 2m on the line.

"Coming three wide when they are running a quick quarter, they have got to have a bit of ability to still pick them up, which luckily he does," the trainer-driver said.

Svanosio has only had President Roydon, who previously raced for Kerryn Manning after being brought over from New Zealand, for his last five starts. The injury-plagued trotter hadn't raced since July of 2018 before Svanosio took him to Bendigo for a first-up assignment in January this year. He ran an eye-catching second there and has since gone on to string together a picket fence of four wins at Melton.

He has been successful from leading races for Svanosio, but also after sitting back in the field.

"He's got plenty of ability and he's done a big job to come this far this quickly," he said.

President Roydon, now a seven-year-old, has won nine of his 22 career starts.

WATCH PRESIDENT ROYDON’S RUN FROM MELTON BELOW

 

THE NUMBERS

PRESIDENT ROYDON

WOODLANDS STUD TROT (2240m) – 1st

LEAD TIME: 49.49sec

LAST MILE: 1:59.11min

LAST 800m: 56.40sec

LAST 400m: 27.86sec

 

WHERE TO NEXT?

It's time for a little break, with Svanosio keen to give the horse a freshen-up before stepping him up in grade.

"We are going to give him an easy month now and he has gone away to the water walker up at Peter Clarke's at Murchison," he said.

"He's really up to tough grade and he's had it pretty solid since he's come back. He probably won't race for a couple of months now...

"Hopefully he can just take that next step again, which he is going to have to do to be competitive against the ones he's going to be racing from now on."

 

FASTEST FIVE

TABCORP PARK MELTON, FEBRUARY 27

LAST 800m

PINK GALAHS 56.37sec – 2nd TAB AUSTRALIAN TROTTING GRAND PRIX

PRESIDENT ROYDON 56.40sec – 1st WOODLANDS STUD TROT

TOUGH MONARCH 56.52sec – 6th TAB AUSTRALIAN TROTTING GRAND PRIX

MONARO MARO 56.57sec – 4th LYN MCPHERSON MEMORIAL BREED FOR SPEED GOLD SERIES FINAL

SUNDONS COURAGE 56.62sec – 9th TAB AUSTRALIAN TROTTING GRAND PRIX

 

LAST 400m

SLEEPEE 27.80sec – 1st LYN MCPHERSON MEMORIAL BREED FOR SPEED GOLD SERIES FINAL

MOONSHINE LINDA 27.83sec – 3rd LYN MCPHERSON MEMORIAL BREED FOR SPEED GOLD SERIES FINAL

PRESIDENT ROYDON 27.86sec – 1st WOODLANDS STUD TROT

MAORISHADOW 27.96sec – 8th LYN MCPHERSON MEMORIAL BREED FOR SPEED GOLD SERIES FINAL

PINK GALAHS 27.99sec – 2nd TAB AUSTRALIAN TROTTING GRAND PRIX

CLICK HERE TO SEE SECTIONAL TIMES FOR ALL RUNNERS AT MELTON