Winners flow for Bendigo region trainers

The wins have flowed thick and fast for Bendigo region harness racing trainers over the past week.

A magnificent seven days rolled on at Horsham on Thursday, where the team of Kate Hargreaves and Alex Ashwood notched a double with Good Cop and Beau Garcon, and later in the evening at Echuca, where the John Tormey-trained and Jordan Leedham-driven Hancocks Hero made it back-to-back wins.

Ten individual trainers have accounted for 12 winners in total since Saturday night's meeting at Lord's Raceway, with the Hargreaves stable the most prolific with three.
 
The foundations for a successful period were laid at Bendigo last weekend.

On a night dominated by the scintillating performance of pacing superstar Lochinvar Art, Bendigo region horses claimed wins in four of the nine races contested.

A first metropolitan race success for Heathcote trainer Terry French with Form Analyst – driven by Tayla French – kicked-off a run of three-straight winners to start the meeting for the local brigade.

Carla Innes-Goodridge was next to strike with her emerging four-year-old Zarem, driven by 2020 Bendigo Pacing Cup-winning reinsman Jason Lee, before the Hargreaves-trained Streitkid completed a clean sweep of the first three events by notching his 13th career win.

A productive night was capped by a tough win to the Julie Douglas-trained Rocknroll Eyes in a keenly-contested NR 70 to 79 pace.

It was career win number for 17 after 88 starts for the six-year-old son of Rocknroll Hanover, who last won at Mildura in July.

There would be no letting up when racing returned to Lord's Raceway on Wednesday night, with the locals adding a further four wins.

Maryborough's Ray Cross got the ball rolling, combining with Bendigo reinsman Rod Lakey, for an impressive win with the three-year-old filly Countess Chiron.

Next up was Bendigo trainer Brad Stevens, who broke through for a maiden win with the three-year-old trotting filly Everybodylovesme, making it back-to-back wins for the progeny of Imperial Count following the earlier success of Countess Chiron.

Everbodylovesme was brilliantly driven out in front by Ellen Tormey and was able to notch her first win at career start number seven.

A win for Lockwood trainer Ron Wicks with Ambro Hugh made it three for the night, before the local win haul again hit four courtesy of Goornong's Nigel Milne and Our Doreen Days.

Originally trained by legendary trotting identity, the late Colin Redwood, Ambro Hugh has had six starts for one win and a placing for Wicks following a brief stint with the Justin Brewin stable.

A double at Horsham on Thursday for the Hargreaves stable lifted the young team to equal sixth on the state trainers' premiership with 57 winners, easily a career-best.

The stable will have three runners at Ballarat on Saturday night, with Streitkid looking to back-up after his win last weekend, along with Well Defined and three three-year-old Beat City.

Bendigo region winners since Saturday

Bendigo (Saturday): Form Analyst (Terry French); Zarem (Carla Innes-Goodridge), Streitkid (Kate Hargreaves); Rocknroll Eyes (Julie Douglas).

Maryborough (Monday): Rules Don't Apply (Anthony Crossland).

Bendigo (Wednesday night): Countess Chiron (Ray Cross); Everybodylovesme (Brad Stevens); Ambro Hugh (Ron Wicks); Our Doreen Days (Nigel Milne).

Horsham (Thursday): Good Cop, Beau Garcon (Kate Hargreaves).

Echuca (Thursday night): Hancocks Hero (John Tormey).

By Kieran Iles

Reprinted with permission of The Bendigo Advertiser

 
Next Post