Wednesday trotting was held at picturesque Yarra Valley on Wednesday March 12 and what a day it was for the Melton District.
Melton co-trainers Maree and John Caldow were victorious with six year old Dream Vacation/Skye Rocket gelding Mister Scorcher at Yarra Valley on Wednesday, taking out the De Bortoli Trotters Handicap for T0 or better class over 2150 metres.
Driven by John, Mister Scorcher starting from a 40 metre backmark spent the first half of the race at the rear of the field, before moving into the open at the bell.
Gradually making ground to be outside the pacemaker Fifty Shades Of Brown on the home turn, Mister Scorcher was too strong at the finish, scoring by 1.8 metres from the dead-heaters Fifty Shades Of Brown and Drop Of Paradise which followed the winner home.
Other winners during the afternoon being Jodan (Beau Tindale – Melton), Glenferrie College (Craig Demmler - Parwan), Mumbai Majik (Gary Hoban – Toolern Vale) and Loong Nien (John Justice – Toolern Vale).
Sportswriter/Trudee colt Jodan driven by Lisa Miles was impressive in the Knoxfield 55+ Club 2-Y-0 Pace over 1650 metres.
Restrained from outside the front row to settle four back in the running line, Jodan sprinted sharply in the last lap to join the first start leader Primo Cavalier on the home turn, before racing clear over the concluding stages to score a 5.4 metre victory in advance of Antaeus Blue Chip along the sprint lane after trailing the lamplighter who weakened to finish third.
Four year old McArdle/Glenfeiir Miss entire Glenferrie College appeared to have a class edge on his rivals in the De Bortoli Pace for C2 class over 1650 metres and that’s the way it turned out, registering a 1.3 metre victory.
Driven by Gavin Lang, Glenferrie College was taken back from gate six at the start to possie mid-field in the running line prior to setting off three wide in the final circuit to give chase to the pacemaker Jacquis Lad.
Sustaining the effort, Glenferrie College still under a tight rein at the straight entrance finished best to defeat Our Miss Vivienne (one/one at bell) and Break Of Dawn from last. The mile rate 1-59.9.
Presidential Ball/Little Miss Voodoo filly Mumbai Majik was the shock winner of the afternoon when greeting the judge in the Yarra Valley Racing 3-Y-0 Pace over 2150 metres at Supertab odds of $65.20.
Bred and raced by Kevin Clark and family, Mumbai Majik was given a lovely trip by Craig Hoban three back along the markers trailing both the leader Beau Reve and Kiss Kenny after starting from inside the second line.
Extricated into the clear to be one/one on the final bend following the well supported Madison Louise, Mumbai Majik was able to overhaul Madison Louise in the shadows of the post to score by 2.2 metres in a rate of 1-59.5, with Beau Reve giving ground to finish third 2.9 metres away.
Ultra consistent Modern Art/Jane McCool colt Loong Nien raced by Shwu-Mei Thompson, led virtually throughout from outside the front line to snare the Ringwood East Seniors 3-Y-0 Pace over 2150 metres, defeating Hargrave which shadowed him and Shicka Sharka which led out from gate four before taking cover on the winner. The mile rate 2-00.8.
Star of the future - four year old Mach Three/Star Of The Ball gelding Macha resumed in the 2nd Heat of the Eastern Challenge for C3 & C4 class over 2150 metres and couldn’t have been more impressive in his victory.
Trained at Lara by Dean Braun and driven by Chris Alford, Macha first up since May last year, settled mid-field in the running line from gate four on the second row with the ex-New Zealander Lets Press On first up on Australian soil leading from the pole.
Moving forward three wide uncovered in the last lap, Macha cruised to the wire unextended 4.1 metres in advance of Jasmine Sheffield (one/one) and a death-seating Discrimination in a mile rate of 1-58.5.
Competent concessional reinsman Alex Ashwood is heading in a new direction by joining the Dean Braun stable in a couple of weeks.
Alex who outdrove his claim in record time when first starting off in his home state of Tasmania a few seasons back, had been working for Andy and Kate Gath.
