Sport
Page 26 The Moorabool News – 28 June, 2022
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A night of milestones Jewellers
By Tim O’Connor (HRV) It was a night of milestones at Tabcorp Park Melton on Saturday night as drivers Shannon O’Sullivan and Mark Pitt and trainer Emma Stewart clocked up significant victories at Victorian harness racing headquarters.
Pace,
the
five-year-old
mare
sat back in the field and came with a barnstorming finish to win by 9.5m in a mile rate of 1:55:3min. She rounded up a talented field of rivals including place-getters The Pantheist and
O’Sullivan scored her first metropolitan race success when Love Ina Chevy zipped home down the outside to win the PCFA Critical Catch Pace for trainer Lance Justice, while Pitt and Stewart both brought up their 100th winners for the 2022 season. For O’Sullivan, the long-awaited victory was reward for plenty of hard work in recent times.
Enchanted Stride, who are both trained by David Miles. “It was pretty impressive tonight,” Pitt said. “The race was probably set up for a swooper like that with a strong lead time and first quarter. It suited us down to the ground. “This mare, she has gone forward in leaps and bounds from racing in the country
“All the hard work pays off and at the moment I’m just trying to take the opportunities that I get and make the most of them,” she said. “Really grateful to Lance for giving me the drive and hopefully it just snowball effects into a few more drives on Saturday nights.” Pitt scored a treble at Tabcorp Park with Von
to racing in some of the mares’ races and dominating.” The daughter of Art Major had three winless runs for Aaron Bain in March after being purchased from New Zealand, where she had 61 starts for just six victories. ***
Art and Like A Wildfire winning for Stewart
Michael Stanley trained a double at Melton,
and Delightful Angel claiming the Group 3
with Rock N Roll Doo and Soho Seraphine
VHRC Caduceus Metropolitan Pace Final for NSW horseman David Kennedy. The win by Von Art continued a staggering
winning the final two races on the card. ***
run of form for Stewart’s new acquisition,
Anthony Butt piloted Soho Seraphine to
who is unbeaten from six starts with the
victory and also claimed the opening event
stable.
of the night with Belmont Royale for Geoff
With plenty of early speed in the Catanach’s
Love Ina Chevy winning at Tabcorp Park on Saturday Night. Photo: Stuart McCormick
Webster.
Von Art winning at Tabcorp Park on Saturday Night. Photo: Stuart McCormick
Queen earns a break By Tim O’Connor (HRV)
Queen Elida cruises home for the win at Tabcorp Park on Saturday Night. Photo: Stuart McCormick
Queen Elida will be sent for a break and set for some of the big features at the back end of the year after another classy display at Tabcorp Park Melton on Saturday night. Brent Lilley’s emerging megastar cruised to an 8.3m victory in the Group 2 IRT Australia Matriarch Trot and the Bolinda trainer told thetrots.com.au that the mare would now be given a short spell. Driver Chris Alford was asked by TrotsVision host Rob Auber if the four-yearold was the most exciting trotter he’d ever driven, but the champion reinsman stopped short of declaring her that just yet. “Ever is hard to say. I’ve driven some good ones over my time, but if she keeps going, she’s going to be good enough to win an Inter Dominion I think. Just driving her quiet with her electric speed,” Alford said. “In 12 months, we might be saying that she’s the best one around.” While Queen Elida won well to register her
14th victory at start 24, Alford felt she was below her best. “She was a bit snaky tonight in the pre-race warm-up and even before the race,” Alford said. “When she got sort of 6m in front, I could just feel her ease up and just wait. “So she probably wasn’t 100 per cent, but still got the job done really easily.” Queen Elida’s four runs this preparation included a second placing to Mufasa Metro in the Group 3 Vulcan Trotters Free For All and wins in the Group 1 La Coocaracha, Group 3 Carlotta’s Pride Trotters Free For All and the Group 2 IRT Australia Matriarch Trot. The daughter of Love You was named the 2021 Victorian 3YO Trotting Filly of the Year at Sunday’s awards night at the Melbourne Showgrounds.
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