Mister Douglas and Joanne Justice take out the Schweppes Claiming Pace at Melton.
A 15-year-old pacer nicknamed “Sneakers” stole the show on Friday night at Tabcorp Park Melton.
Veteran gelding Mister Douglas was victorious in the Schweppes Claiming Pace over 1720 metres for trainer/driver Joanne Justice, the gelding notching his 34th career win at start number 291.
In fact it was his 97th time lining up at Tabcorp Park, the son of sire Albert Albert out of mare Byatross upstaging Tasmanian Livin It Lovin It by a half-head in a mile rate of 1:57.6.
Justice, who trains “Sneakers” at Toolern Vale, said she was “absolutely rapt” with Friday night’s win.
“He’s a great horse. He likes the wet and he loves working and racing,” she said.
“He has been going good, he just needed to find the right race.”
Mister Douglas (odds of $38.30) settled three-back on the pegs from his pole draw as Four Grinners (John Justice, $13.80) and Rumsron (Greg Sugars, $8.5) set the speed in front.
Four Grinners, who pinged off the arm from gate seven to cross to the lead, paced the first quarter of the final mile in 28.6 seconds after a 7.3secs lead time.
The leader slowed through the second quarter (31.7secs) before getting his rivals off the bit down the back (28.8secs third split).
At the final bend Four Grinners had a kick but the sweeping brigade were coming, headed by Mister Douglas and Livin It Lovin It out wider.
Mister Douglas hit the front inside the final 50m and held off Livin It Lovin It’s late charge, the last quarter clocked in 29.2secs.
“He’s got the white socks on his hinds and he’s light on his feet,” Justice said when asked how Mister Douglas got his stable name.
Interestingly, Justice also had an association with Mister Douglas’s mother, who she drove to win the Nyah Necklace back in 1991.
Mister Douglas debuted on April 13, 2003, winning at Bendigo.
He went on to win several races at Moonee Valley before the home of Victorian metropolitan trotting moved to Melton where Mister Douglas has now won eight races.
But it hasn’t all been smooth sailing for "Sneakers".
He broke down after 80 starts and experts told Justice at the time the horse probably wouldn’t race again.
“But I walked him and swam him,” Justice said, eventually the trainer getting the gelding back on his feet and back on track.
Following the win on Friday night Justice reported that all Mister Douglas wanted when he got home was to eat his dinner, suggesting he had pulled up super.
“We’ll just keep working and racing with him until he doesn’t want to anymore,” Justice said of future plans for the veteran.
“I’m sure this is his last season. I am hoping to get to 300 starts.”
The well-wishes were flowing in for popular Mister Douglas on social media after the win.
Bookmaker Tom Hogan tweeted: "Well deserved win #JoanneJustice. Mr Douglas will be 16yo in September. Great training effort and drove it like #GLang."
And Adam Hamilton described the win as "Amazing".
An interesting statistic is that reinsman Luke Tabone, who drove the well-backed runner Bout Time in the claimer on Friday night, is 16 years old, just 12 months older than Mister Douglas!
>> Video: re-live Mister Douglas's Schweppes Claiming Pace win on Friday night @ Melton
>> Video: Mister Douglas wins at Moonee Valley in October, 2005, driven by Mister Daryl Douglas