Gavin Lang drove Living Bonus to victory Sunday afternoon
In-form Euroa part-owner/trainer Danny Thackeray has been having a terrific run with his quality team of late and snared the $30,000 Warehouse Sales Central Victorian Pacing Championship for C2 or better class over 2100 metres at the St Arnaud HRC fixture held at Charlton on Sunday with 5-Y-0 Life Sign - Paulas Sister gelding Tentolife in a brilliant rate of 2-00 even.
Driven by Nathan Jack, Tentolife flew away from outside the front row to lead, running his rivals ragged to score by 10.1 metres in advance of the hot favourite Galleons Prospect which made a complete mess of the start galloping wildly from barrier two, settling four back in the moving line.
Sent forward three wide solo at the bell by Chris Alford in an endeavour to make ground on the pacemaker, Galleons Prospect did a sensational job to get so close at the finish in a last half mile of 56.3 – quarter 28.6, with Mister Rufus a further 4.6 metres away third from three back the markers.
A great field contested the $30,000 (Group 2) Warehouse Sales Central Victorian Trotting Championship Grand Final for T0 or better class over 2570 metres, the victor being trained to the minute 4-Y-0 Village Jasper/Secret Bonus gelding Living Bonus in a rate of 2-08.8.
Bred and raced by Sue-Ellen Thompson, trained at Elmore by Jenny Johnson and driven by Gavin Lang, Living Bonus stepped safely from barrier four as the tapes released, settling four back along the markers, with Theywannacallmesue leading from barrier six and being tackled strongly by the South Australian visitor Rejuvenation which assumed control entering the straight on the first occasion.
Moving to face the breeze mid-race, it was vintage Lang who nursed Living Bonus throughout the last half of the race, joining the leader on straightening.
Gaining the upper hand as the winning post loomed, Living Bonus scored by 1.3 metres over Rejuvenation, with Amelia Darling (one/one) a neck away third after having every opportunity to run the winner down.