Jack Callaghan with Spirit Of St Louis in the Shepparton Gold Cup.
Young driver Jack Callaghan may have not been driving at the top level for long but he is certainly stamping his mark on the Australian harness racing scene.
Formerly based in the Hunter region of New South Wales, the 20-year-old driver won the $60,000 Group 2 Shepparton Cup with Spirit Of St Louis in Victoria on Saturday night after winning the $70,000 Bendigo Cup with that pacer last week.
It was a minor upset too, as Spirit Of St Louis won in track record time beating Victoria’s prized pacer and race favourite Lochinvar Art who was first up in almost a year.
“Artie was first up and I knew he’d be vulnerable . . . it was great to see him back but great to beat him,” said Callaghan.
“He’s a genuine Grand Circuit horse (Spirit Of St Louis). “He’s only a wee little fella but his heart is the size of himself.”
Callaghan will be missing from his former home track of Newcastle today, however, will be back racing at Menangle on Tuesday.
The iForm best bets for today:
Newcastle best bet
Race 6: Louis Litt (8)
Appears a class above the opposition on tidy Menangle performances in recent weeks.
Newcastle next best
Race 7: Spike Robyn
Rates highly going better than his form suggests against stronger opposition.
Play the exotics
The Newcastle quaddie
Race 4: 9-4-10
Race 5: 6-5-4-2-7
Race 6: 8
Race 7: 5-9-3-1
