Trainer Mick Blackmore, Claudys Princess and driver Gavin Lang after winning the Glenferrie Farm Victoria Trotters Oaks.
Kyabram trainer Mick Blackmore was going to have some celebratory burgers on the way home after his Group 1 Glenferrie Farm Victoria Trotters Oaks win at Melton’s Tabcorp Park last night.
“I’ll stop in at McDonalds,” an elated Blackmore said, nominating “two quarter pounders” as his menu favourites.
Blackmore’s star filly Claudys Princess was the belle of the ball at the meeting, the striking three-year-old registering her second Group 1 victory after a sublime drive from master reinsman Gavin Lang.
Sent wide off the back straight the final time in a bid to make ground on tearaway leader Illawong Moonshine (Jodi Quinlan) and the challenging Illawong Helios (Greg Sugars), Claudys Princess was running on but still had a lot of ground to make up.
She was 12m behind the two leaders down the side before Lang revealed his ace – steering Claudys Princess left, cutting the corner and saving enormous ground before bursting to the lead along the inside for a 2.2m win.
Punters were cheering as Claudys Princess crossed the line in first, the $1.50 favourite making it 10 wins from 13 starts.
Blackmore was full of praise for the legendary Lang.
Asked if he was worried with 600m to go, the trainer replied: “That wasn’t my worry, it was Gavin’s worry… but if you leave it in his hands, it comes off more often than not. He’ll take the shortest way home all the time.”
Ross Sugars-trained Illawong Helios battled on gamely for second, while $144 outsider My Account gave Maribyrnong trainer David Beer a huge thrill in flashing home for third.
They went out in a lead time of 46.8 and came home in a mile rate of 2:01.4 for the Oaks, with the last half covered in 59.9.
Claudys Princess’s next goal will be the Vicbred Super Series.
- Four more metro winners for D. Aiken, treble for Joshua
- Justice and Gath combine for double
