Pearcedale father and daughter Bill and Simone Walker combined for their second Warragul Cup win on Easter Sunday with their harness racing star pacer Hectorjayjay.
After Doolan Jack won the race in 2009, Hectorjayjay led throughout on Sunday, setting a track record mark on 1:59.8 for the first Cup run over the new distance of 2627 metres.
Aged just four the Dream Away gelding having only his thirty-seventh race start, Hectorjayjay held off all his rivals to score his sixteenth win.
It was only his second start at the Warragul Pacing Bowl – Hectorjayjay scored his maiden win on the circuit at age two.
Since then, he has worked his way through the classes and has raced against, and beaten many of, the best competitors in three seasons of racing.
The Walker family look set for some fun times ahead in future too with Hectorjayjay, winner of over $142,000 in stakes.
Owner Matthew McLellan accepted the gold cup from Frank Hone, representing race sponsor the Warragul Sporting and Social Club.
Trainer Bill Walker was clearly emotional at the trophy presentation – he hasn't enjoyed the best of health in recent times however Sunday's win will be a great boost for him.
The Walker stable have been great supporters of Warragul trotting for decades, and their win was a celebrated one among the local crowd.
Hectorjayjay
Feature race for the trotters on Sunday was the Eddie Evison Memorial Cup.
Sunset Invasion won the event. Accepting the Cup was Barry Garbutt – ironically he shod horses for the late Eddie Evison as a farrier in Gippsland many years ago.
Connections of Sunset Invasion were delighted with their victory – the Last Sunset six-year-old is a most consistent racehorse having recorded 14 wins and 16 placings from only 36 starts.
The Ken Miller Memorial Pace went to exciting four-year-old Kurahaupo Gambler, now a winner of three on end for Burrumbeet horseman Michael Stanley.
Undefeated since settling in Australia from New Zealand, the Bettor's Delight four-year-old looks set for greater success after his all-the-way win in Sunday's race.
All mobile start events on Sunday saw times which broke the magical two minute barrier – a first at Warragul and a credit to the track maintenance team.
Despite overcast weather conditions, attendance numbers were up slightly on last year at the Cup meeting.
Trotting returns to Warragul on Monday afternoon, May 4.
Kyle Galley