TOO GOOD: Jimmy Brown scores with Blackbird Power at Menangle today. Photo by Amanda Madern
A CHARMED run behind the leader saw a perfect start to Indigenous Drivers Plate Day at Menangle today for local trainer-driver Jimmy Brown.
Aided by a 10 out of 10 drive by Brown, five-year-old gelding Blackbird Power scored an impressive two-and-a-half metre win over Trilight Brigade and Cyclone Charlie in the first of two $20,000 Menangle Where Horses Fly Series finals at Tabcorp Park Menangle.
Brown made good use of Blackbird Power’s gate speed to hold the lead for the early part of the race as the field came out humming with an opening 26.8s first split of the mile.
Pressured by Lets Katchmeifucan, Brown was content to hand up the lead and bide his time until they turned for home.
It was vintage Brown as the man who first hatched the idea for an Indigenous Drivers’ Series drew roars from the crowd as he moved Blackbird Power across the path of tiring horses and made his run down the middle of the track to score in a 1:52.7 mile rate.
“Now for the big one,” grinned the popular reinsman as he returned with the Gavin Kelly-trained pacer.
“It would be great to now go out and make it a double. This series has ignited so much interest among not just the indigenous drivers, but everyone in harness racing.
“And I’d love to win it . . . and mark my words, if it’s not today, then I will one day.”
Meanwhile no-one knows the Menangle track better than local reinsman Rob Morris and Newcastle trainer Mark Callaghan was quick to call on him to handle his finalist in the second of the $20,000 Menangle Country Series finals.
Morris did the rest, steering five-year-old gelding Vega Star to a fighting 1.4m win over Sky Diamond with Plato O Plomo a further 2.5m back in third place with the winner rating 1:52.2 for the flying mile.
Morris has a habit of winning Menangle races for Callaghan and the Hunter reinsman has returned the favour many times at Newcastle.
Vega Star has now won four in a row for Callaghan who must be looking at a return to Menangle ‘Headquarters’ with some even-richer races in mind.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION TELEPHONE CLUB MENANGLE RACING MANAGER DAVID WONSON ON 0438 398 251
