Greg Sugars (pictured aboard Classy Guy at Melton) drove a winning double at Cranbourne tonight.
Sunbury trainer Ahmed Taiba combined with the state’s leading reinsman, Greg Sugars, to land a stable double at Cranbourne trots tonight.
Rock N Roll Heaven/Artistic Dash gelding Rock Of America took the Decron 2Y0 Pace over 2080 metres and impressive 3Y0 Grinfromeartoear/Counterfiet Girl gelding Fake Smile the Hyland Harness Colours Pace for C2 & C3 class over the same journey.
Rock Of America, making his third race appearance, led throughout from gate four to easily account for Majordan inside him, which trailed by 5.1 metres in a rate of 2-03.9, with Artistic Gem holding down third after racing in the open from outside the front line.
Fake Smile brought up four victories in a row in his event. Trapped three-wide from gate five with the polemarker Our Danger Mouse leading as he usually does, Fake Smile surprisingly was able to cross the pacemaker in the back straight on the first occasion without spending any petrol.
Coasting for the rest of the journey, Fake Smile toyed with his rivals, registering a three-metre victory in advance of Garibaldi, which battled on strongly after racing in the open for the final circuit. Game We Play (one/one home turn after a cosy trip three back the markers) finished third 6.4 metres in arrears of the winner. The mile rate 2-02.1.
Bolinda trainer/driver Lisa Miles returned to the winners circle after 4Y0 Dream Vacation/Sundons Tiavon gelding Tiavons Dream greeted the judge in the Aldebaran Park Trotters Mobile for T0 & T1 class over 2080 metres in a mile rate of 2-04.8.
Raced by Aldebaran Park principal Duncan McPherson and a host of others including Sharon Lang, Tiavons Dream galloped away from gate two, but once balanced went forward to park outside the pacemaker The Dutchman which flew away from outside the front line.
Surging to the front in the last lap, Tiavons Dream having his first outing since December last year, defied all challengers to score by 2.1 metres from Im Havinaball along the sprint lane after dropping down from one/two to trail the winner on straightening. Nordic Ice was 4.2 metres away in third place after following the winner most of the way.
Local Clyde co-trainers Jayne Davies and Noel Alexander snared the Blue Hills Rise 3Y0 Pace over 2080 metres with Mister Big/Heavenly Hiraani gelding Stone Of Destiny in a rate of 2-01.2 following a dashing drive by Chris Alford.
Syndicated by HRV and racing under the banner of Raceapacer Heaven Group which includes Collingwood (AFL) coach Nathan Buckley and captain Scott Pendlebury (a Gippsland boy), Stone Of Destiny was sent forward from the extreme draw immediately the start was effected to assume control and was never headed, bounding away prior to the home turn to record a 2.3 metre victory over Colonel Joy (one/two – three wide last lap) and Tenacious One which faced the breeze from the bell.
Jayne Davis is a fanatical Magpie supporter.
Four-year-old Kenneth J/Lotsa Wealth mare Richly Deserved trained on the track by Charlie Wooton was successful in the Hygain Vicbred Pace for C1 class over 1609 metres.
With Anthony Butt in the sulky, Richly Deserved starting from gate four raced wide before settling outside the poleline leader Magnum Express at the bell.
Proving the better stayer on the night, Richly Deserved recorded a 3.7 metre margin over Magnum Express and Belvoirama which trailed the pacemaker in a mile rate of 1-59.7.
Gippsland (Trafalgar) trainer/driver Glenn Hunter’s 4Y0 Four Starzzz Shark/Savannah Lombo gelding Shicka Sharka was a big victor of the Mark Gurry & Associates Pace for C1 class over 2080 metres in a rate of 2-01.5.
Shuffled back to the tail of the field after starting from gate two on the second line, Shicka Sharka gained a three wide trail in the last lap on the back of both Modern Guy and Mystical Quest and despite being right off the track on the final bend, rushed home to blouse the leader Courageous Eagle by 1.2 metres, with Heza Modern Guy battling away strongly to finish third.
Riddell co-trainers Nicole and Dean Molander combined with popular concessional reinsman Alex Ashwood to land the Condo’s Horse Transport Pace for C4 & C5 class over 2080 metres with smart McArdle/Pricella Bromac 5Y0 gelding Cillas Boy.
Given a sweet passage one/one from gate four, Cillas Boy was eased three wide in the final circuit to head off the pacemaker Hi Tech Fury on the home turn.
Running home stylishly, Cillas Boy prevailed by 5.8 metres in advance of the fast finishing Clancys Fobwatch (three back the markers) and Balance Point which used the sprint lane after trailing the weakening leader. The mile rate 2-00.9.
Lightly raced former NSW four year old Artsplace/Starry Rainbow entire Arts Stride was a gigantic winner of the Dooza Sulky Pace for C0 class over 2080 metres for Long Forest husband and wife Andy & Kate Gath.
Racing under the banner of E & M Stride, Arts Stride having his first outing in Victoria was quickly away from an inside second line draw to settle mid-field in the moving line, with Bruneover heading off Narreeva with a circuit to travel.
Sent forward three wide in the last lap, Arts Stride exploded to the front on the home turn to register a margin of 26.8 metres ahead of Hustler Halo from last and a death-seating Sentimental Life in a rate of 2-01.
