Soho Trump winning the 2025 Vicbred
CHAMPION driver Chris Alford wound back the clock with a stunning night of dominance at Melton’s stellar Vicbred finals last night.
Alford, 57, drove four of the 10 final winners, including the last three of the night.
It was a timely reminder Alford, by far the most successful driver this part of the world has seen, is still a major force at the top level.
Alford’s 8332 wins in Australia is more than 2000 more than any other Australasian driver.
The 15-time Australian premier driver started his splurge aboard the Mick Stanley-trained Soho Trump, who worked to the lead from a wide draw and impressively won the $100,000 Vicbred 2YO pacing colts and geldings final.
Stanley thinks Soho Trump, a winner of three of his four starts, has the potential to become a star next season.
Alford had to wait until race eight to strike again, making a daring midrace move to take the front and zooming clear to win by 16.5m aboard the Chris Lang Sr-trained I Am Wilma in the $60,000 3YO trotting fillies’ final.
Alford then teamed again with Lang Sr and his partner Sonia Mahar to win with another trotter, Hilltop Hugh, in the 4YO entires and geldings final.
Fittingly, Alford completed his quarter for trainer Jayne Davies, the backbone of the first half of his career, when Harperseven stormed home for an upset win at $71 in the 2YO trotting fillies’ final.
Alford, Davies and her trainer partner Noel Alexander teamed with superstars like Golden Reign, Tailamade Lombo and many others through the 1990s and early 2000s.
Top NSW driver Cam Hart justified his decision to come south and drive at Melton instead of Menangle when he snared a double for premier trainers Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin aboard Arrhythmia (2YO fillies) and Beach Diamond (3YO fillies).
The star power of the night came when freakish four-year-old trotting mare Keayang Zahara scored her seventh feature race win and stretched her amazing record to 19 wins from just 20 starts (and a second) in her Vicbred final.
The Marg and Paddy Lee-trained mare toyed with her rivals without being extended by driver Glen Craven to win by 14.2m.
Providing Team Lee can secure a suitable flight from Melbourne to Brisbane, Keayang Zahara will head to the $150,000 Group 1 Great Square at Albion Park on December 6.
“That’s the plan, but only if we can get a flight that works. We won’t take her by road,” Jason Lee said.
Beyond that, Keayang Zahara will target a string of six feature trotting races in Victoria through January and February which carry a potential $500,000 bonus.
Team Lee also look to have another budding star on their hands with Keayang Bazlenka, who made it four wins from five starts with victory in the 2YO trotting colts and geldings final.
Like so many of their horses, Keayang Bazlenka is named after star Geelong AFL player Bailey Smith.
Mecarno delivered one of the stories of the night with his tough 3YO trotting final win for trainer-driver Michael Bellman.
Bellman had waited 25 years for his first Group 1 win in the Victoria Trotters’ Derby at Maryborough on November 2 and last night gave him a second win at the top level just 20 days later.
PHOTO: Stuart McCormick
