Three rule the roost at Cranbourne
It was hard to get a look in at the Cranbourne harness racing meeting on Monday afternoon – that’s providing your name wasn’t Sugars, McGuigan or Alford.
From the seven races conducted, the trio finished in the top three placings on an unbelievable 17 occasions.
Simply breaking it down, it reads like this:
Greg Sugars-four wins, two seconds and one third placing;
Darby McGuigan-two wins, two seconds and three third placings; and
Chris Alford-one win and two seconds.
Sugars, based at Myrniong, won with Downunder Barkers (Down Under Muscles-La Poeme); Apollo Rock (Pet Rock-Wicker Maker); Dansbro (Elsu-Ritzy Emm) and Ashincharge (Jet Lang-Art Dragon).
“I’m having an okay season, but I keep bumping into a guy by the name of Chris Alford!” Sugars said.
Alford has been awesome this season. The latest HRA stats show him with 1317 drives for 312 (47 metro) wins and 375 placings for $2.6M. Alford’s wins and places to starts ratio is 52.16 percent. Sugars is next, and ticking along okay, with 198 wins and 305 placings at 45 percent.
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‘Reactor factor’ coming through in the breeding barn
Former Kiwi speedster Auckland Reactor (Mach Three-Atomic Lass (Sokys Atom) thrilled fans with his spine-tingling racetrack feats and is now making a name for himself as a sire.
His dominance had him dubbed “The Reactor Factor” in his racing days and Auckland Reactor is siring not only some terrific looking youngsters, but they can also run.
One of his latest winners was 3yo chestnut gelding Crowded Reactor (Auckland Reactor-Threes A Crowd (Armbro Operative), who did it tough to score nicely for trainer Rebecca East at Horsham.
It was the second consecutive win for Crowded Reactor, who had won a fortnight previously at Terang. Tim McLean was the winning driver both times.
The dam Threes A Crowd (Armbro Operative-Blood Sweat And Tear (Power Bunny) was an eight times winner for $33,000 in stakes.
Pictured: Rebecca East and Crowded Reactor after their Horsham victory (Courtesy Horsham HRC)
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Sidney strikes for new barn
Belgian-born reinsman Sidney Van den Brande was a happy young man at Maryborough this week, posting his first win for new boss Anton Golino.
And he went back to his harness racing roots in doing so, by landing 4yo square gaiter Bouttemont (Ready Cash-ShowMeTheMaori (Lindy Lane).
Prior to shifting Down Under, Van den Brande had competed only in trotting races, but in a number of countries including Belgium, France and Germany.
After arriving in Australia the likeable reinsman spent time with the Aiken and Stewart-Tonkin stables before joining Golino at Pat Driscoll’s Yabby Dam Farms at Cardigan.
The move was essentially to reacquaint himself with trotters – and he will have plenty of opportunities to do that as ace trotting trainer Golino has a plethora of them.
Van den Brande has now driven 101 winners with 53 of these being in Australia.
Bouttemont was sent out a warm $1.90 favorite and after finding the front in the early stages, punters were on good terms with themselves. The mare won easily from Honey Please and Coco Lombo.
The win gave Golino a training double, having scored earlier with Sound Of Terror (Western Terror-Sounds Alive (Live Or Die) driven by Jack MacKinnon.
Pictured: Sidney van den Brande
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Rich rewards from long road trip
Champion reinswoman Kate Gath rarely travels to the far north west of Victoria, but she made her presence felt at Mildura recently.
The diminutive blonde and her husband, astute horseman Andy, are based at Long Forest, near Bacchus Marsh, west of Melbourne. But they elected for Kate to make the six-hour road trip to Mildura and she was rewarded with a winning treble.
The first two victors were for Andy – Miss Hartley (Bettors Delight-Motu Racy Girl (In The Pocket) and Kerford Road (Somebeachsomewhere-Just Delight (Bettors Delight).
Kerford Road, $1.20 favorite, was awesome in winning by 35 metres and stopping the clock at an impressive 1.57-6 for the longer 2190m trip.
Kate picked up the catch drive on consistent locally-trained mare Penny Snatcher (Artscape-Bona Fide Lass (Catch A Flight) for in-form trainer Scott Garraway.
The six-year-old led and was never going to be run down with a solid tempo of 31, 30.4, 28 and 29.5 for a rate of 1.57-5. Penny Snatcher, a speedy customer, has since been put on the market.
Pictured: Kate Gath (Courtesy TasRacing)
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Charlton calls for track name nominations
Charlton Harness Racing Club has sent out an SOS in regard to an appropriate name for their redeveloped racetrack.
The building of a $4.2 million multi-purpose sport and recreation facility at the town’s trotting headquarters has been eagerly awaited — and the reopening is on schedule for September 29.
The facility has been long overdue with the community working towards it for the past 13 years. The completed hub will also be home to other sport and recreation clubs with shared administration rooms.
Harness Club President Joey Thompson said all suggestions for a track name would be considered and the new name would be unveiled on the opening day.
The early money is on much-loved local trainer-driver Ian McCallum to be recognised. And it’s certainly hard to go past “Macca”, who passed away in June 2013, aged 82. He was a gentleman and legend of the sport and a true professional both on and off the track.
Ian McCallum drives his last winner in 2008 – Beleva, at the Mildura Pacing Cup Carnival (Courtesy Sunraysia Daily)
by Terry Gange
NewsAlert PR Mildura