He had gone agonisingly close at times, but Shepparton harness racing reinsman Ryan Duffy finally made it to the winners circle for the first time last weekend.
Duffy partnered the Amanda Turnbull-trained Benji Mara to an all-the-way win at Bendigo on Sunday, which greatly pleased ‘‘get out’’ punters who had supported the pacer into a hot $1.50 favourite.
Having just his fourth Australian start and only his 22nd lifetime outing, Benji Mara posted a blistering 1:55.9 mile rate over the 1650m trip, which was a good reason why his rivals could not run him down.
‘‘I was pretty confident through the run and on the home turn I was pretty sure he’d win,’’ Duffy said.
Duffy has worked for the highly successful Turnbull-Nathan Jack team for the past six months, but has been driving in races for only the past two months. He had driven three second placegetters up to breaking his duck at Bendigo.
Duffy has plenty of harness racing blood coursing through his veins. He comes from a strong trotting family with his father, Steve, a prominent Shepparton harness trainer. His late grandfather Bill was also involved heavily in the sport as a trainer and driver.
‘‘I did an apprenticeship as a cabinet maker with Liberty Kitchens, who were very good to me, but I was always going to head this way (into harness racing),’’ Duffy said.
‘‘I’m in a good stable and if I can keep getting support, I hope to be able to keep moving forward.’’
In Scorching form
John Hallam was another Shepparton trainer to enjoy success at Bendigo, producing his talented mare Scorching Along to roll the favourite Hedge Your Bets in a TR1-2 class trot.
It is the fourth time the five-year-old daughter of Pegasus Spur has saluted in 27 starts and she will be striving to improve that record when she tackles the Mooroopna Trotters Cup at Shepparton on Sunday night.
Nathan Jack also enjoyed a driving double at Bendigo, winning again on the Ross Graham-trained trotter Son Of Sonoko and also the Phillip Walters-trained three-year-old gelding Themightythor.
Jack also drove the Jayne Davies-trained Ravello Rock to win the $9500 Ken Miller Memorial race final at Warragul on Monday.
Big guns are back
Team Aiken big guns are back in action this weekend.
Hectorjayjay tackles the $20000 Young Pedro Free-For-All at Melton tonight, while Lennytheshark steps out in the $31000 Golden Mile at Menangle tomorrow night.
Both will come from barrier six.
Both trialled impressively at Shepparton last week, with Hector narrowly downing Lenny in a slick last half.
Aiken also lines up Beltane from barrier two in the $20000 Youthful Stakes for two-year-old pacing fillies at Melton tonight, while Craig Turnbull has Major Occasion coming from barrier six in the colts and geldings version of this race.
The $30000 VHRSC Holmfield for three-year-old trotters will see the promising Doc Wilson-trained Dark Secret drawn to run a big race from barrier three, while Colbinabbin horseman Graham McDermott has Clarkes Hill coming from barrier two in the same race.
In the $20000 Bendigo Trotters Cup tomorrow night, hopes of a district win rest with the Aiken-trained Maorisfavouritesun, Dean Pattison’s mare Sky Petite and the new kid on the blocks Fabrication for Tatura’s David Abrahams.
Making mark in area
Successful horseman Craig Turnbull celebrated his first win since joining the ranks of Goulburn Valley trainers at the Frank Ryan Raceway at Echuca last week.
Turnbull produced Safari Rose to win a C0 only class race with a bold front-running display.
Safari Rose was tested early in a battle for the lead, but held her ground and was never in danger of being beaten in the 1755m trip after that.
The four-year-old Safari mare, bred by Rochester harness stalwart Denis Pangrazio, posted a PB best mile rate of 1:58.3 in recording her third career win from 30 starts. There have also been nine minor placings.
Turnbull is working a team of a dozen horses at Russ Thomson’s property at Gillieston while he develops his own training complex on a property he has bought on the Midland Hwy near Tatura.
He is hoping to build a team of 15 to 20 horses and is prepared to take on horses to train.
Majestic manners
Manners is vital in harness racing, particularly with young trotters, which was clearly evident at Maryborough last week.
Shepparton horseman Steve Boyington lined up two-year-old trotter Majestic Action for his third start and the son of Majestic Son worked to the front in the first lap and went on to win the race by more than 20m.
But Boyington conceded Majestic Action probably would have run second if the favourite Fend Off had not been knocked off his feet on the home turn when challenging for the lead.
‘‘He (Fend Off) probably would have won, but I would have run second, I’m sure,’’ Boyington said.
Boyington said Majestic Action was a young trotter who had come a long way in a short time.
‘‘It was only five or six weeks ago we were deciding to turn him out or keep him going and he has just kept on improving. We are giving him a short break and then we’ll stoke him up again for the Vicbred series,’’ Boyington said.
Majestic Action is owned and was bred by Yarrawonga trots enthusiasts Jack and Linda Gale, who have been holidaying in America and are yet to see the horse trial or race.
Carlo’s winning habit
Shepparton trainer Steve O’Donoghue will attempt to make it 14 wins from 16 starts with his stable star San Carlos at Bendigo tomorrow night.
San Carlo, with Bec Bartley in the sulky, made it 13 wins from 15 starts with another emphatic win in a C5 or better class race at Kilmore last Friday night.
The six-year-old gelding again won with his head on his chest, clearing out turning for home and working to the front with a lap to go. He cruised to the line nearly 17m clear of the runner-up, rating 1:57.1 for the 2180m trip including a 57.1 last half.
In a tough race tomorrow night, San Carlo has drawn barrier seven with what could be his main danger Brallos Pass drawn inside him.
San Carlo was not the only GV pacer to win at Kilmore.
Marungi trainer Linton Power produced Ok Mara for his third win since joining his stables from New Zealand, while Avenel horseman Ian Montgomery notched a win with Kissmelvis.
Ok Mara, driven by Laura Crossland, has had seven starts for Power for three wins, two seconds, a fourth and a seventh and was coming off a last start win at Cobram.
Kissmelvis had three minor placings from just the eight starts before breaking through for his first win.
Quite the recovery
Talk about going from boiled lollies to chocolates.
Punters who had supported the Kyabram-trained Mana Master had virtually thrown in the towel when the lightly-raced pacer galloped on the first bend in a C0 only race at Echuca last week.
It did not look too good either when Mana Master got back pacing and chased the pack, tacked on and then headed off three wide in the last lap.
But Mana Master, driven by Damien Wilson, was more than up to the challenge and outstayed Hidden Rose in a stirring two-horse duel down the home straight.
Mana Master was having only his 10th race start and with some promising performances heading into the Echuca assignment showed he had his hoof firmly on the till and punters agreed with some solid support.
Mana Master is trained by Graham Lyon, who owns the pacer in partnership with Bob Souter, a Tongala Football Club stalwart and father of former Blues star Mick and grandfather of Jordan.
The four-year-old is by Passmaster, who is a son of Cam’s Card Shark and was bred by Kyabramites Peter Hall, Rob Whitford and John Lilford.
He is a half-brother of Hall’s smart pacer Winkanditsover, who is on the comeback trail and a winner of two races from just six starts.
Quaddie killer
Four-year-old pacer Our Bushwacker knocked out a lot of quaddie punters when he upstaged a field of talented rivals at Echuca last week.
Despite having a top five finish in his previous six starts since winning at Yarra Valley in December, punters shied away from the son of Art Official, who started at the luxury odds of nearly 22-1 on the tote from a second row draw.
Bec Bartley drove a patient race on the Glenn Freeman-trained Our Bushwacker, catching a ride on the three-deep line in the last lap and mowing down his rivals wide out with a strong finishing burst.
The Rochester-trained Ruthless Armbro ran the quinella in the race.
Our Bushwacker rated a PB 1:56.1 for the 1710m sprint in what was his fifth race win with seven placings from 26 starts.
Shepp suits them
Consistent pacers Space Junk, Lead Singer and Carter Bromac were all locally trained pacers who added to their impressive form at Shepparton on Tuesday night.
Space Junk completed a hat-trick of wins on the Shepparton track for Merrigum trainer Brett Bunfield and Lead Singer made it two straight for the Amanda Turnbull-Nathan Jack team, which also produced Carter Bromac for his fourth successive win.
Bunbartha trainer John Newberry also enjoyed a win with trotter The Majestic, who was driven by his son Matt, while trainer Laura Crossland and driver David Moran continued their fairytale with the once rogue pacer Fiery Achiever.
Mountainous effort
Pacer Alpe De Huez used his poleline barrier draw to lead throughout and notch his fifth win in his past 10 outings at Echuca last week.
The Scott Stewart-trained and driven four-year-old son of Changeover stepped straight to the front and warded off all challengers in the home straight with a slick 27.2 last quarter.
Alpe De Huez, who just went under to Carter Bromac at Shepparton on Tuesday night, is building an impressive resume with seven wins and two minor placings from 21 trips to the races.
Crystal clear
Wayne Lear struck a winning blow for the local trainers at Echuca last week when Crystal Colony proved too good for his rivals in a C0 only class race, which rounded off the 10-event card.
It was an Echuca quinella with the Rob Caldwell-trained and Todd Matthews-driven I Its Me running second and the Benalla pacer Justcallmechief filling the minor placing.
Crystal Colony, who found the lead early, is a four-year-old mare by Art Colony who deserved her maiden win as she had run five seconds and four thirds going into the race.
Listen to vision
District harness fans will get a chance to hear HRV’s strategy during a road trip to Shepparton on Monday night, June 19.
HRV’s chief executive David Martin will give the presentation with those attending able to present feedback.
All club managers and secretaries are urged to get their committees together to attend along with trainers, drivers, owns and participants.
Coming up
It’s a full house for Mooroopna Harness Racing Club’s cup meeting on Sunday evening at Shepparton with a 10-event card to be decided.
First event is at the early time of 4.43pm, with the final event at 9.17pm.
The Mooroopna Pacing Cup should be a keenly contested affair with Zhukov, Glen Eyre, That Chill Divine, Here For The Goodtimes, Our Bushwacker, Provocation and Takachanceonharry district pacers who are contesting the race.
Shepparton Harness Racing Club has a busy week as it hosts a night meeting next Thursday.
Today: Mildura (d), Melton (n)
Tomorrow: Bendigo (n)
Sunday: Mooroopna at Shepparton (t)
Monday: Hamilton (d)
Tuesday: Cranbourne (n)
Wednesday: Melton (d), Kilmore (n)
Thursday: Maryborough (d), Shepparton (n)