Gippsland trained pacer Mister Wickham created his own piece of history at Monday's Warragul harness racing meeting.
The Longwarry flyers winning time of 2:08.3 for the 1790 metre distance in the Winning Formula Three-Year-Old Pace equates to a mile rate of 1:55.4 – the fastest rate ever recorded in a race at Warragul.
The outstanding time, which would have been unheard of on the small Warragul track before the recent renovations, speaks volumes for the ability of the horse, and the quality of the track and it's preparation.
Trainer Lee Evison has prepared some very good quality horses in his 20 years of training, but he rates Mister Wickham as the best horse he has ever trained.
And the sky might be the limit for Mister Wickham, bought for big dollars before he began his career last season.
After three victories at two, Mister Wickham overcame serious illness to get back to the races – two recent barrier trials wins at Warragul gave trotting followers an inkling that the race on Monday might just produce something special.
And indeed it did. Mister Wickham was challenged early by Queen Of Pop, another very good quality Gippsland three-year-old.
But at the finish, driver Greg Sugars had Mister Wickham well clear of the field. In an ominous sign for his potential rivals in the upcoming Warragul Guineas on Easter Sunday, Sugars appeared to go easy on Mister Wickham in the closing stages, and there still appears to be improvement in the horse as Monday's race was his first since June last year.
The Guineas field on Easter Sunday will be tougher than the one faced on Monday, however Mister Wickham's large group of owners have every reason to be delighted with how their horse has returned to the races.
Trafalgar trainer Chris Hunter scored a well overdue maiden win with Lazy Sunday in the Warragul and District Light Harness Club Trotters Handicap.
The win was an appropriate one as Hunter is a life member of the Light Harness Club.
Lazy Sunday led throughout for win one at start 11 – the mare was first past the post on Warragul Cup day last year but lost the race on protest.
Two heats of the annual Ken Miller Memorial series were staged.
Former New Zealand horse Kurahaupo Gambler won the first heat – and will probably start favourite in the Final on Easter Sunday.
Not Another De Jay won the other heat. Pleasingly, Bettor Biaggi, Feel The Rhythm and Just For Laughs all qualified for West Gippsland stables for a chance at winning the feature event.
The mild weather conditions set up fast times all day – first starter Gottashopearly created an impression in winning the Two-Year-Old event and is one to mark down as a horse to watch.
Warragul club officials will now focus on their Easter Sunday Cup meeting on April 5, which commemorates sixty years since the first Cup was staged in 1955.
Kyle Galley