A wet day couldn't douse the harness racing at Warragul Pacing Bowl on Monday afternoon, when Melton pacer Crockets Cullen set a solid tempo to be among the day's most eye-catching winners.
Contesting the third heat of the Eastern Challenge race, Crockets Cullen's winning time was less than a second outside of the course record. Lance Justice bought up his second victory of the afternoon with Crockets Cullen, after Rosehill Rose Hill's earlier win.
Crockets Cullen also created a big impression on Warragul Cup day, when the Kiwi-bred horse won his first Australian race by 24m. He won again at Warragul on Monday by 28m, and should win further races for Justice and owner Chris Mifsud.
Croydon pacer Temporal Join scored an overdue victory in the sixth event. Paul Stokes trains the five year-old, who has only won two races from 31 starts, but has also recorded 17 minor placings, so the mare has probably been unlucky not to have won sooner.
Temporal Join held off her rivals courtesy of an all-the-way victory by driver Matt Ablett.
Local trainer Michael Hughes continued his recent run of success, when Mygoldengrinner won the two-year-old race. A most consistent youngster, courtesy of two victories and five minor placings from only nine starts, Mygoldengrinner scored a very easy victory after sprinting clear of his rivals at the 400m mark.
Fellow local Courageous Desire turned in a good debut performance to finish second after making a mistake in the early stages of the race.
Clyde trotter Soho Ledger ran his rivals ragged in the handicap. Well handled from a 40m handicap by driver Chris Alford, Soho Ledger dashed away from the field at the 400m mark and went on to record a 40m victory, one of the biggest seen at Warragul for some time.
Giant Steps produced the upset of the day, winning the final race as a $20.50 chance with punters. The longest priced winner at Warragul so far this year, Giant Steps found the lead in the middle stages of Monday's race and kept on running for driver Troy McDonald, to score win seven at start 78.
The next trots meeting at Warragul is on Monday, July 4.
Kyle Galley