Tim O'Connor picks his favourite bits from the harness racing week that was and the one ahead...
THE HERO
He might not be the fastest horse to ever grace a harness track, but Celestial Daybreak is surely one of the more durable.
What a great result it was when the evergreen 13-year-old scored his 60th career victory on Tuesday night with a strong front-running display at Mildura for trainer Tori Hutchins and driver Luke Dunne.
The son of Dawn Ofa New Day now boasts a career record of 444 starts, 60 wins, 58 seconds and 46 thirds, with prizemoney earnings up over $225,000.
He was owned and trained to his first win by Jenni Lewis in 2016, and is now raced by his breeders Steven and Michael Byrne.
HOW GOOD WAS...
Luke Dunne’s dash in the Stawell Trainer Driver Gift was something to behold.
Running from scratch, the 19-year-old blitzed the field to win the third running of the annual Good Friday sprint, defeating the “Easter Bunny” and Jason Ainsworth.
Watch the replay here.
CAN'T WAIT FOR THIS!
Looking forward to Catch A Wave’s tilt at back-to-back Nullarbor titles at Gloucester Park this Friday night.
The Andy and Kate Gath-prepared winner of over $2million has drawn barrier nine for the slot race feature, which he won in style last year.
He is third favourite in the market behind local runner Minstrel and star New South Wales raider Swayzee.
The Nullarbor is scheduled for 11.35pm AEST on Friday night.
KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR...
Keayang Zahara’s return to the racetrack is imminent, and she could be a starter at Melton on Saturday week.
Trainers Marg and Paddy Lee are considering a first-up Victorian run with the unbeaten star before she is taken to Menangle for the Group 1 Macarthur Mile on May 10.
Keayang Zahara won all 14 starts last season as a three-year-old, including The Ascent, Oaks and Derby in New Zealand before a spell.
POP THIS IN YOUR DIARY
Shepparton’s Pacing for Pink meeting is always a huge success, and the 2025 staging is set down for Sunday, May 4.
It is one of the major fundraising events for the month-long campaign, which sees drivers don pink pants in support of the McGrath Foundation.
The May 4 meeting will feature great racing, plenty of off-track entertainment, fundraising events and raffles, as well as the ever-popular Pony Trot Senior Drivers Auction.
ONE FOR THE BLACK BOOK
Elle Perfecto
Thought the first-up effort from Damien Burns’ two-year-old trotting filly was really good after galloping last Saturday night.
She lost stacks of ground at the bell, but recovered well to cut the margin to 13.9m on Unclad with a great final half of 57.96sec.
Elle Perfecto looks set for a bright campaign based off that performance and is in again this Friday at Melton.
SOMETHING TO PONDER...
The way we wager on harness racing has evolved over the years and one method many of you might not have tried is in-play betting.
That’s right. You can bet on the outcome of a race after the start and right up until the concluding stages of the event.
Of course, prices will change according to settling positions of horses and the times that have been clocked, but you can continue to place bets well into the final lap.
There’s a few wagering service providers that offer in-play, including Sportsbet, which bets live on all Australian harness racing meetings.
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.