Melton Trots: Live updates, Friday 26 August

26 August 2016 | Cody Winnell
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Race 1 - DNR Logistics Pace

PICOBELLO (Christian Cullen-Lynne Falcon) has won the DNR Logistics Pace to kick-start night one of the Breeders Crown weekend at Tabcorp Park Melton.

The five-year-old mare paid $30.30 on the Victorian tote, no doubt blowing the majority of punters out of the early quaddie.

Trained and driven by Glenn Douglas at Strathfieldsaye, Picobello turned her 3.4m fourth to Blurred Lines in the heat for this race around despite starting from outside the front row.

Our Red Sky Knight finished second after finding the back of leader All Eyes And Ears early in a nice piece of driving by Allan McDonough (from gate three), jumping into the trail ahead of Destiny Warrior (barrier eight), who couldn’t muster quickly enough.

Blurred Lines finished third after looking the winner at the top of the straight for Brad Chisholm, finishing on gamely, while All Eyes And Ears boxed on for fourth and Any Wonder ran fifth.

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Race 2 - TAB.com.au Breeders Crown Graduate Pace

KOTARE York (Mach Three-Kotare Yoyo) has pocketed his sixth win at start No.36 by taking out the TAB.com.au Breeders Crown Graduate Pace.

Trainer Geoff Webster is in great form and the four-year-old stallion appreciated comfortable early splits in the 2240-metre race (lead time 46.9secs, first and second quarters of 30.5 and 29.9), reinsman Emmett Brosnan only having to up the ante late with a 56.4secs last half to hold off fast-finishing Game We Play (who was last in the run before commencing a three-wide move from the 800m) – his run was super – and Iceobar in third.

The winner rated 1:57.6.

That’s two wins from Kotare York’s last three starts now.

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Race 3 - Woodlands Stud Breeders Crown Championship 4YO Entires/Geldings Trotters

ILLAWONG ARMSTRONG (Majestic Son-Lunar Landing) has taken out this year’s Woodlands Stud Breeders Crown Championship for four-year-old trotting entires and geldings.

Driven by trainer Jodi Quinlan, the gifted gelding was pushed out from the pole draw after long-time rival Eljaykay Phoenix (Josh Aiken) tested his mettle.

Anthony Butt put Kyvalley Boomerang into the trail from barrier five, and Nathan Jack took second-favourite Fabrication around the field to the breeze.

But it was all Illawong Armstrong in the 2240-metre race, always travelling well to notch his fourth win from nine starts this season with splits of 30, 30.9, 28.6 and 29.3 for a mile rate of 1:59.3.

Illawong Armstrong’s stake earnings are now pushing $160,000.

Will this be the only Illawong to win over Breeders Crown finals time? Jodi and Dr Martin Hartnett will team up again Sunday with the two-year-old Redwood Classic champ Illawong Byron, and he looks mighty hard to beat.

“I didn’t have any confidence tonight,” Quinlan said tonight of Illawong Armstrong.

“But his ability takes him a long way.

“We’ve had our issues with him. That’s why he’s had eight starts in eight months.”

Quinlan said if she had her way Illawong Armstrong would go the paddock for a spell. “But if Martin has his way probably not,” she said.

We’ll see who wins that battle.

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Race 4 - Haras Des Trotteurs Breeders Crown Graduate Trot 

STUNNING JASPER (Village Jasper-Stunning Impact) was a fast-finishing winner of the Haras Des Trotteurs Graduate Trot tonight.

Driven by evergreen Brian Gath Stunning Jasper ($31.90) overhauled race favourite Zhenya by a half-neck in 2:00.7.

Sammy Charles led with Its Not Dark Yet in the chair. At the bell Stunning Jasper was three back on the pegs in the 2240-metre race.

Its Not Dark Yet was battling approaching the home turn and dropped behind Sammy Charles (Chris Alford) who kicked in front, with Zhenya looming up strongly.

Zhenya took the lead at the 150m but Stunning Jasper wouldn’t be denied, charging late to grab the win.

“It took him a long time to wear them down but he always travelled like he’d make it,” Gath said.

“If they raced over 2400m he would have won more. The 2100m is a bit short for him.”

Gath said it was a pleasure to drive the winner for good mate Joe Vassallo.

“Good fella, Joe, and Sam, they’re great people.”

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Race 5 Betterthancheddar @ Alabar Breeders Crown Graduate Pacers Free for All (Group 2) 

ALL EYES ON US (Art Major-All Eyes On Me) won tonight’s Betterthancheddar @ Alabar Breeders Crown Graduate Pacers Free for All in extraordinary fashion.

The C11-M0 assessed five-year-old equalled the track record for the 2240-metre trip at Melton (joining Keayang Cullen at a mark of 1:53.2), too strong for C25-M8 long odds-on favourite Hectorjayjay to score a half-neck win for trainer John McCarthy and reinsman Luke McCarthy.

“We’ve always had a good opinion of him,” Luke McCarthy said.

“He ran second in the APG as a two-year-old and missed his three-year-old season when he had a bone chip taken out of his ankle.

“We purposely kept him out of the M0s so he’d draw well in this race. He’s got a big heart and we think he’ll take the next step. He’ll make a real good horse.”

Undoubtedly he will if he keeps producing runs like tonight.

Jilliby Jagger led early with Burning Cash in the breeze, All Eyes On Us leader’s back. Hectorjayjay ($1.25 favourite) settled back in the field in the running line but punters would not have been panicking with a swift lead time of 43secs flat recorded.

The leader paced a 60.3secs first half before they scorched down the back in 26.9secs. Hectorjayjay eased to the outside to make his run and looked to have the race shot to bits for Gavin Lang before McCarthy and All Eyes On Us hit top gear, rallied back and took the win (final quarter 27.3, last half 54.2).

The winner paid $27.20 and the first four paid almost twelve grand. 

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Race 6 Woodlands Stud Breeders Crown Championship 4YO Trotting Mares

VAL GARDENA (Kadabra-Lets Be Happy) only won by 3.7m but the margin could have been more.

She didn’t give her rivals any hope in the Woodlands Stud Breeders Crown Championship for four-year-old trotting mares, rated a treat by the Candyman, Greg Sugars, to score in a mile rate of 2:00.9.

The impressive mare from the Anton Golino stable at Cardigan fended off all comers in the run, her first half covered in 62.7secs before third and fourth splits of 29 and 28.6.

Damien Burns trained/driven Itsgettingcalder produced another big run for second, she’s in great form, while Glenferrie Burn finished third for trainer Blake Fitzpatrick and driver Gavin Lang. 

Glenferrie Burn is raced by Yabby Dam Farms, who also owned the winner.

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Race 7 - Woodlands Stud Breeders Crown Graduate Trotters FFA (Group 2) 

SUPER ZECK (Modern Art-Me Dolli Kit) is this year’s Haras Des Trotteurs Breeders Crown Graduate Trot winner.

Trained by Darren Cole at Terang and driven by John Caldow, Super Zeck made it 11 wins this season from 32 starts with a 2.8m win over Maori Time (Anthony Butt) and El Paco (Chris Svanosio) third.

Super Zeck took off three-wide from the back at the 1100m mark, getting to the breeze outside leader Vics Cheval, who was chasing back to back wins.

Maori Time, who had crept around the field also was left one out and one back, while early leader El Paco, who quickly handed up to Vics Cheval, was travelling sweetly behind the pacesetter.

Following early splits of 31.8 and 30.6, Super Zeck put more pressure on the frontrunner down the back (28.5secs third quarter) before going to the front approaching the home turn.

Maori Time kept chasing and was game in defeat, while El Paco is one for the black book. He got carted back at the 300m when the leader gave ground and was savaging the line at the finish. Wins soon.

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Race 8 Betterthancheddar @ Alabar Breeders Crown Graduate Cup

STAR OF DIONYSIS (American Ideal-Star Of Venus) has captured the Betterthancheddar @ Alabar Breeders Crown Graduate Cup for husband/wife team Andy and Kate Gath.

The five-year-old went around $1.50 first-up on August 4 from a 50-metre handicap and finished fourth, and then ran seventh as a $2.40 favourite on August 19.

Tonight he paid $14.20. Punters who stayed aboard can celebrate with a vino. Fun fact: Dionysus is the god of wine, theatre and revelry in Greek mythology (note, I’m getting that straight from Google as Greek mythology is not my strongpoint).

Star Of Dionysis lobbed the one-one for Kate Gath over the 1720m trip and finished too powerfully for his rivals, holding off Art I Special, who was held up at the top of the lane and flew late once in the clear, with Mach Doro third.

The winner went 1:55.5.

Star Of Dionysis has won 10 races from 46 starts now and that was his fifth win this season.

That wraps us up from Melton, so see you Sunday! 

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Results

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Media enquiries:

Cody Winnell (HRV Media/Communications Manager)
t: 03 8378 0288 | e: cwinnell@hrv.org.au | tw: @codywinnell

 

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