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27 February 2012 - Five-year-old Conch Deville gelding Backas Cobber is proving to be this year's Country Cups trot king after completing a treble of Country Cup victories at Charlton last night. The bold going bay has racked up three Country Cup wins this year, winning the Horsham and Ouyen Trotters Cups in January before yesterday's victory. In the 2570 metre Charlton Trot Cup, Backas Cobber came from a 10 metre handicap and scored a tough win, travelling three wide at the bell and getting home to score by a head. Damian Wilson drove the Alan Wood, owned and trained squaregaiter to victory in a 2:05.7 mile rate. Shiraz Cabernet (Daryl Douglas) finished seceond with Bendigo's Barneys Invasion coming from the back to sprint through and round out the top three just a half neck away. Close up in fourth place in a four way photo finish was Si Capsico. Just a half length seperated the first four finishers. Backas Cobber was well supported both on and off track and started the $1.90 favourite. The David Lewis trained and Caleb Lewis driven Abettorpunt indicated that he could be a rising star of harness racing when he defeated Mister Grizzly and Geelong Cup winner Heza Trick in the Charlton Pacing Cup. Abettorpunt started the $2.70 favourite and after racing behind the leader sprinted quickly in the straight to win by 2.7 metres in a 1:59.8 mile rate for the 2570 metre journey. - David Aldred
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24 February 2012 - With a champion’s name and wearing world champion racing colours, it came as no surprise to see lightly-raced Ararat square-gaiter Boonen power home to win last night’s CV Batteries Vicbred Trotters Handicap at Lord’s Raceway Bendigo. In the cycling world the name Boonen is synonymous with greatness, the world champion Belgian rider has been idolised during a long and chequered career in his sport. Former Australian champion cyclist Gary Hull races and trains the trotter Boonen, naming his horse after the 2005 World Road Race Champion. “We’re a cycling family and when this horse was a foal, he was a big, strong foal and I knew we had to give him a suitable name, Boonen was an obvious choice to us. When Boonen rides he is strong, he is big and just doesn’t give in,” Hull said. Last night four-year-old Yankee Paco gelding Boonen lived up to those expectations, finishing powerfully to take out the Vicbred Trot by a 3.5 metre margin. Driven by Mark Hayes, Boonen, the $2.30 race favourite zoomed home from after being three wide late in the race to defeat Adamiska and My Archie Way. It was Boonen’s fourth win from just 11 starts and Hull has high hopes for the trotter who appears to be getting better each time he races. “Mark (Hayes) does a good job with the big horse, he needs a bit of steering around,” Hull said. Boonen not only has a champion name to live up to, he also carries a champion set of colours. “His racing colours (white, blue, red, black, yellow and green hoops) are identical to the Rainbow jersey worn by the reigning world champion in bicycle racing. “ I didn’t hold much hope of Harness Racing Australia registering them when we submitted them as our colours, but I am glad they did, cycling is in our blood and it’s great to combine it with our passion for harness racing.” Gary’s name is in the cycling record books as the winner of a couple of Australian titles on the track and now his son, 17- year- old Evan is carrying the flag. Evan can lay claim to being among the best in Australian cycling circles and has been selected to represent Australia at the World Track Titles in New Zealand in August. The harness racing bug stems from the maternal side of the Hull family with Gary’s wife Tracy, a daughter of harness racing veteran Mick Bond. “I guess you could say I married into harness racing when I married into the Bond family 29 years ago,” Hull said. “It’s been great, we love it and have had our share of success including racing the Bendigo Sires’ (Vicbred) winner Sundons Pride.” As for trotter Boonen, he has it all in front of him and just like his cycling namesake, he looks like he could be around and winning for a while yet. - David Aldred
See more photos from last night's races in the Photo Gallery  22 February 2012 - Goornong harness racing driver Peter Salathiel counts himself incredibly lucky to have escaped with a collapsed lung, broken ribs, nerve damage and bruising from a racing fall at Junortoun’s Lord’s Raceway. Driving his 2yo filly Cherwood at a BHRC trial on Sunday, February 12, Salathiel was sitting in second place when the horse fell without warning causing a three-horse fall in which the 53-year-old was seriously injured. The two other drivers involved in the fall escaped serious injury, with Toolleen’s Nigel Milne suffering a broken radius and bruised ribs and Bruce Morgan walking away unharmed. However, Salathiel was in the Intensive Care Unit at Bendigo Hospital for two days after the crash. He returned home late last week – three broken ribs in his back, nerve damage to his neck and a loss of feeling in his right hand “like pins and needles”, but he could vividly recall the incident. “My horse fell without warning, usually they give some indication that something’s going to go wrong,” Salathiel said. “But, I knew I was in trouble, she went straight into the ground and I stepped on her rump with my right foot and my left foot had just touched the ground when the horse that was two behind me hit me. “If that horse hadn’t got me the damage would’ve been minimal, but the one that ploughed into me from behind caused the problems. “It stepped straight through me and I rolled under it. A 400kg horse travelling at 40km/h takes a bit of shouldering off.” An ambulance was called immediately, but Salathiel’s wife Beatrice arrived quicker than the paramedics. “It seemed a long time, but I’m not really sure. I couldn’t move, so where I landed was where I stayed,” Salathiel said. “My lung had collapsed, but nobody really knew that it had. I was starting to really panic I thought ‘I’m going to die here in a minute’. “I could see my horse laying out behind my legs and I was thinking ‘don’t you dare get up and stand on me’ and, thankfully, she laid there with me.” Salathiel won his first race as a 16-year-old in Boort and he has no second thoughts about wanting to get back in the sulky as soon as possible. “If you think that way you shouldn’t be out there,” Salathiel said. Salathiel expressed his gratitude to the people who enquired about his health and who have offered assistance. His horse Sherwood, will have a spell in the paddock for three months after suffering knee injuries from the fall. - Travis King (Bendigo Advertiser)
 20 February 2012 -Trainer/driver Chris Lang bettered a former world record set by his father Graeme more than 25 years ago with the great trotting mare Scotch Notch when New Zealand import Dealornodeal raced the clock over a mile at Bendigo on Sunday night to win the inaugural Girls on Fire Series in a sensational time of 1:55.46.
Scotch Notch the winner of two Inter Dominion Trotting Championships was a freakish square gaiter during the 80’s for Graeme Lang and the champion mare, as a seven-year-old, trotted 1:55.6 in a time trial at Moonee Valley, setting an Australasian trotting time trial record that stood until last night. At the time her mile was a world record for a mare. Dealornodeal’s time will be recorded as the second fastest mile ever trotted in this part of the world. Her stable mate, Sundon’s Gift has raced a mile in 1:54.3. “We’re pretty chuffed,” Lang said. “I believe she is has recorded the fastest ever time for a mare in Australia, that’s sensational.” Lang covered the mile in pretty evenly matched quarters, going out in 28.41 and to the half mile in 28.79. The third quarter was almost identical to the second with Dealornodeal NZ trotting 28.8 before coming home the last 400 metres in 29.46. Dealornodeal’s previous best mile was recorded winning a 1700 metre mobile start race at Cambridge in January 2011 when she clocked 2:00. On TAB Sportsbet Fixed Odds betting Dealornodeal NZ was well supported and returned $3.60 for her win. The five-year-old Dream Vacation mare is a half sister to another former Lang trainee Kyvalley Mac and is raced by a group of New Zealanders headed up by champion galloping trainer and harness racing enthusiast Graeme Rogerson. An M0 performer in New Zealand, Dealornodeal NZ has raced 35 times for 7 wins and last raced there in January this year. The real surprise performance in the Girls on Fire came from locally owned mare Prettylilangeleyes. The Russell Thompson trained Classic Adam mare is owned by the Manton family and was driven by Bendigo ace Daryl Douglas. Prettylilangeleyes came home a super last half mile in 57.65 after covering her first half in 58.12. The mare’s overall time was 1:55.77. The mare’s previous best winning mile was 2:01.58. As well as the major portion of the $5,000 in HRV stakes, Dealornodeal’s owners received a free service to Aldebaran Park’s Skyvalley for registering the fastest mile. The mare that recorded the biggest improvement on her previous best winning mile was the Ruth Shinn trained Last Sunrise which took seven seconds of her previous best mile with a time of 1:58.9. The Shinn’s won a free service to Conch Deville donated by Loddon Valley Stud. The random draw from the selected list of starters in the time trials went to Prettylilangeleyes with the Manton’s winning a free service to Aldebaran Park’s Aldebaran Yankee. - David Aldred 20 February 2012 - Warragul reinswoman Casey Parker has won the HRTC Rising Stars Young Driver's Series raced over the last few weeks at Bendigo and Maryborough. The Final race was decided on Sunday night at Lord's Raceway with Parker getting enough points to hold her lead and win the Series. Parker totalled 30 points to win the series from Corey Bell 27 points and Denbeigh Wade 26 points. Aaron Woodhouse-Ashby finished fourth on 21 points. Woodhouse-Ashby drove last night's Final race winner, Waterslide, trained by Lynette Eastman. Waterslide defeated Im The Main Man (Corey Bell) with Village Man (Denbeigh Wade) third. Parker finished fourth on the race outsider Lezza Wild Child.
17 February 2012 - Young Warragul based trainer/reinswoman Casey Parker has hit the top of the leaderboard after the second race of the three race Harness Racing Training Centre Rising Stars Young Driver Series.
Parker a graduate of the Gippsland Harness Training Centre prepares her own small team and has shown her driving skills off in the first two races of this series finishing runner up at Bendigo on 4 February and winning the second heat today at Maryborough. Prior to this series she had driven one winner and two minor placings. At Maryborough, driving the aptly named four-year-old mare Tara Toplady, Parker exercised patience and kept the $4.00 second favourite back early before finishing the 1690 metres off nicely to score by 1.5 metres in a 1:57.9 mile rate. Little Red Cloud (Timothy McLean) finished second with Evil Trickster driven by Denbeigh Wade third. For winning Parker earned 12 points to put her at the top of the driver table with 22 pts. Below the frontrunner the leader board is condensed with three drivers, Leroy O'Brien, Denbeigh Wade and Corey Bell each on 17 points. Timothy McLean has 12 and Emma Bowles 10; Aaron Woodhouse Ashby 9; Jacob Kerridge 8 and Ashley Manton 6. Charlie Martin and Mitchell Shrimpton did not drive today and will have their points for today averaged after Sunday's final race of the series at Bendigo. On Sunday, Parker will drive the James Nottage trained Lezza Wild Child ($31.00) at Bendigo. Lezza Wild Child has not won since 2008. Of the front runners, the youngest and least experienced driver Corey Bell and Bendigo heat winner Leroy O'Brien look to be the firming favourites for the series. Bell will drive the Ballarat trained Im The Main Man ($1.60 fav) in the Final while O'Brien is aboard Nica Lady ($19.00), a last start Cobram winner. Albury trainer John Scott who prepared track record maker Franco Noriega at Bendigo in Race 1 of the Series will harness up Rollon Red Rocket ($2.30). Bendigo local Ashley Manton has the drive. The Series is restricted to young drivers who have not had a lot of opportunities in their fledgling careers. To be eligible the drivers must have beeen under the age of 25 years at the commencement of the current racing season last September and had less than 100-career-drives at acceptance time for the first race of the Series. - David Aldred 17 February 2012 - Chris Lang trained five-year-old New Zealand trotting mare Dealornodeal is the $3.50 second favourite in Sunday’s Girls On Fire Time Trials at Bendigo. But it’s more than her ranking in the TAB Sportsbet Fixed Odds betting market that has created interest in her Lord’s Raceway debut. Not only is Dealornodeal NZ now prepared by Australia’s premier trotting stable, the striking black mare is raced by one of Australasia's most successful galloping trainers, Graeme Rogerson. Five years ago Rogerson established a fully outfitted harness training stable, and now has a sizable interest in harness racing. He has set up a fully equipped and self sufficient harness training facility within his Tuhikaramea (Hamilton, NZ) based thoroughbred training establishment and formed a training partnership with well credentialed horseman Steven Reid. The daughter of Dream Vacation joined Lang’s Nagambie stable last month after a run of outs in New Zealand. Her last victory was back in October when she scored from a standing start over 2500 metres and she last raced in her home country on 6th January finishing last of six behind the classy trotter Sovereignty. Her recent form has all been in top company against horses the calibre of I Can Doosit and Springbank Richard but Lang is reserving his opinion on whether the mare will measure up here. “She may be alright, we’ll wait and see,” he said. Lang has elected to time trial Dealornodeal NZ solo in her 8:00 timeslot on Sunday. Some of the competitors will use galloping pacemakers in the time trials – TAB Sportsbet will operate Fixed Odds Betting on the Girls On Fire Time Trials with the Chris Lang Jr. trained Miss Warbucks, the $1.90 favourite after an opening price yesterday of $1.75. Cold Sister, the USA mare trained by David Aiken is now third favourite at $4:00. Group 1 winner Miss Warbucks races tonight in the Gr1 Dullard Cup at Tabcorp Park Melton. The first time trial (Last Sunrise NZ) is scheduled to start at 6:05pm, TT 2 (Candy Digger) at 6:32pm, TT 3 (Sultry Lady USA) - 6:52pm, TT 4 (Cold Sister USA) -7:00pm, TT 5 (Prettylilangeleyes) - 7:20pm, TT 6 (Dealornodeal) - 7:41pm, TT 7 - Miss Warbucks) 8:31pm
16 February 2012 - TAB Sportsbet are offering Fixed Odds Betting on Sunday's inaugural Aldebaran Park Girls On Fire Time Trials at Bendigo's Lord's Raceway. Betting commenced today with the favourite the Chris Lang Jr. trained Miss Warbucks at $1.75 to record the quickest mile. Seven mares including Gr 1 winner Miss Warbucks and USA mares Cold Sister and Sultry Lady and NZ mare Dealornodeal will contest the time Trials programmed between the regular Sunday night TAB races at Bendigo. The TAB will operate a Win Only market with multi betting and bet up until the first time trial (Last Sunrise NZ) scheduled to start at 6:05pm, TT 2 (Candy Digger) at 6:32pm, TT 3 (Sultry Lady USA) - 6:52pm, TT 4 (Cold Sister USA) -7:00pm, TT 5 (Prettylilangeleyes) - 7:20pm, TT 6 (Dealornodeal) - 7:41pm, TT 7 - Miss Warbucks) 8:31pm. The market will be suspended briefly on Friday night when Mis Warbucks races in the Group 1 Dullard Cup at Tabcorp Park Melton. 16 February 2012 - TAB Sportsbet are offering Fixed Odds Betting on Sunday's inaugural Aldebaran Park Girls On Fire Time Trials at Bendigo's Lord's Raceway. Betting commenced today with the favourite the Chris Lang Jr. trained Miss Warbucks at $1.75 to record the quickest mile. Seven mares including Gr 1 winner Miss Warbucks and USA mares Cold Sister and Sultry Lady and NZ mare Dealornodeal will contest the time Trials programmed between the regular Sunday night TAB races at Bendigo. The TAB will operate a Win Only market with multi betting and bet up until the first time trial (Last Sunrise NZ) scheduled to start at 6:05pm, TT 2 (Candy Digger) at 6:32pm, TT 3 (Sultry Lady USA) - 6:52pm, TT 4 (Cold Sister USA) -7:00pm, TT 5 (Prettylilangeleyes) - 7:20pm, TT 6 (Dealornodeal) - 7:41pm, TT 7 - Miss Warbucks) 8:31pm. The market will be suspended briefly on Friday night when Mis Warbucks races in the Group 1 Dullard Cup at Tabcorp Park Melton.
15 February 2012 - Courageous Annie, a Bendigo trial winner last Sunday will step back up to top company as she treks over the border on Friday with Queensland conditioner Darrel Graham itching to get to Sydney.
Graham will head to TABCORP Park, Menangle this Friday night with a strong team from his Fernvale base headed up by his star mare Courageous Annie who will contest the Gr.3 $40,000 Garrards Robin Dundee Stakes. Courageous Annie is headed to Sydney via Melbourne. The Gr.1 winning Courage Under Fire mare was prepared at Anthony Crossland's Huntly property for her Victorian campaign which didn't go well but Graham is confident a return to her favourite track will see a marked improvement. “The Victorian campaign wasn’t the best for me but that can happen, Annie basically had no luck every time she stepped out.” Graham said. Courageous Annie finished fifth in the Graham Goffin Memorial in her first Victorian start and then ran a battling third at Bendigo before running seventh in fast time at her most recent start at TABCORP Park, Melton behind subsequent Terang Pacing Cup winner Onedin Hustler. “Her record in Sydney speaks for itself; she’s unbeaten at this track and has a ‘PB’ of 1;52.6 and that was after sitting parked for the mile as a 3yo so it proves how much she loves the big open spaces so I’m quite confident she can bounce quickly despite her little hiccups in Melbourne. “It’s the best track in Australia with great bends and a good surface, Annie has always felt very comfortable on that surface and it’s great for her hooves.” Graham left Courageous Annie in Victoria with Bendigo based Crossland who trialled the mare last Sunday in impressive style. “Anthony took her to Bendigo last weekend and the report was very pleasing, Annie worked to the front by the mile and finished off in 56.2 and 28.9 seconds and did it easily. “It’s a very good field this Friday but you would expect that when we’re all chasing a start in the Ladyship Mile, the draw isn’t the best on paper but in a way it takes the pressure off. “We might end up being the hunter rather than being the hunted like we were in Melbourne.” Courageous Annie will arrive in Sydney tomorrow (Thursday). |
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December 2012
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