After a 10-year hiatus, the Gawler Harness Racing Club was able to stage a meeting on its own track on Sunday and champion reinswoman Danielle Hill dominated winning three of the six races.
Hill won the opening event on the Les Harding-trained Santa Madre, followed up on Juliuss in the second race for trainer Shane Loone, then brought up her treble on The George for trainer Luke O’Neill in the fourth.
In an amazing co-incidence, her partner David Harding won the final race at the old Gawler track, on Crusaders Crest for Roseworthy trainer Toby Ryan back on June 8, 2008.
Santa Madre ($1.40 fav) came from last in the H Panton Pace (2070m) to score a comfortable 10-1/2 metre win from Samalise ($19.10) with That Said ($8.10), 2-1/2 metres away third.
Trainer Les Harding said he believed the four-year-old mare was capable of winning a few more races and was probably even better suited when able to lead.
Hill produced a ‘Houdini’ effort to win on Juliuss ($4.50) in the F J Needham Pace (1580m).
The three-year-old was back last, on the inside, in the field of nine and the reinswoman was looking for inside runs off the back, but nothing eventuated.
Hill finally got Juliuss to the outside and the gelding sprinted strongly to grab a 1-1/2 metre victory from Aquarius Art ($7.30) with Alexandergreenwood ($3.70 fav), 5-1/2 metres away third.
Hill’s treble came up on The George ($4.30) which outstayed Partywithmach ($5.10) up the home straight to win by 3-1/2 metres with Little Growl ($35.30) finishing fast late, 21 metres back in third place.
Gawler-based father and son Greg and Ken Rogers combined to win with Wroxton Balboa in the H E G Weaver Pace (2070m).
A $12.20 chance, Wroxton Balboa led throughout to score a neck win from Amightyfinehorse ($8.50) with Cora Jaccka ($3.30), a metre away third.
Greg Rogers trains the six-year-old, but Ken Rogers owns and drove the gelding.
“He loves it here,” Ken Rogers said.
“He gets the to the home turn and just takes off.
“Even though the runner-up got close on the line, he would have found more if the race had been a bit further.”
Trainer Luke O’Neill, who won with The George, trained a double when Truscott Law ($4), driven by Wayne Hill, led throughout to beat stablemate Stuey D ($2 fav) by two metres, with Gus Or Bust ($5.70), 14 metres away third.
There was plenty of emotion after the W R & J M Martin Pace (1580m) for two-year-olds, when Martys Party ($16.30) finished best to score a 2-1/2 metre win from Above Average ($4.10) with Regal Scribe ($1.90 fav), 10-1/2 metre away third.
Martys Party was bred and is owned by father and daughter John and Tiffany Lee. John trains the two-year-old and Tiffany did the driving.
The colt is the first horse which the pair have bred and won a race with and Tiffany revealed the dam Jazzstar, which they also raced and won 11 races with, was now in foal to champion Auckland Reactor.
