The highly sought after Petstock Tontine Series came to a close at Horsham last Friday afternoon with the running of two lucrative country penalty finals.
Conducted by Clubs in Victoria’s South West Zone, the 27th annual pacers’ series included heats at Terang, Ararat and Stawell, whilst the squaregaiters qualified for the 23rd annual trotters’ final via heats at Geelong and the Hamilton @ Terang meeting.
Dual heat winner Als Rocket was sent out a $1.30 favourite in the Group 3 $30,000 Petstock Tontine Pacers Final and duly saluted for trainer Tony Peacock and driver Brian Gath who enjoyed his fourth Tontine success.
In a frantically run race, the six-year-old Albert Albert gelding sat rearward before charging home for a three-metre victory over Sunofagun Lombo, with Harrys Lass a further 12-metres in arrears.
The winner rated a blistering 1:58.6 mile rate for the 2200-metre journey and took his career record to nine wins, five placings and $62,450 in stakes from just 18 starts.
Inaugural Gordon Rothacker medallist Ian McCallum featured in the winner’s circle after the running of the $16,000 Petstock Tontine Trotters Final.
The McCallum-trained and driven Beleva, one of two heat winners, began quickly from his 30-metre handicap to find the lead and prove too strong for his rivals.
The four-year-old Maoris Idol gelding enjoyed a seven-metre margin over the second placed Lenny Lewis with Alabamadon five-metres back in third.
The winner rated 2:06.3 for the 2700-metre handicap and scored his ninth win from 36 starts that have also yielded 18 minor placings and $55,409 in stakes.
