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16 January 2013 - Young Junortoun harness racing trainer and driver Chris Svanosio could write a unique new chapter in the history of the time-honoured Warehouse Central Victorian Championships, hosted by the Boort Club at Charlton on Sunday.
Fifty-three years ago Miracle Echo, a pacer trained by Ken Wills and driven by Rod Osborne won the first ever Central Victorian Championship at Echuca. Ironically Svanosio trains his horses from the same property that Wills trained Miracle Echo. Ken Will's son Laurie said today that Miracle Echo is the only CV championship winner to come from the Star Hill stables and it would be great if Chris could add another to the record on Sunday. "Dad preferred to train the pacers, so a CV Trotting Championship would definitely be a first for the stable," Wills said. Svanosio will start his improving trotter Tiroroa Idol in the $30,000 Group 2 trotting race and he gives his honest performer a real chance of collecting a prize. "There might be a couple better than him in the race, but my horse is honest and they won't want to do anything wrong," he said. In the last couple of months Tiroroa Idol has come of age with two race victories at Bendigo. The best performed son of the Angus Hall stallion Framework, Tiroroa Idol graduated to the CV final with a tough heat victory at Bendigo on 7 January. "He got caught in the death early, then I was able to sprint lane home, so the run was very good, very tough," Svanosio said. Tiroroa Idol thrives on hard yakka and its that toughness that Svanosio believes gives him a top chance to train and drive his first ever Group race winner. "He is a gross doer, you cannot be easy on him and I have to keep the work up to him," Svanosio said. "At Tabcorp Park recently he raced three wide early and just got run down on the line, he is improving all the time and he is now trotting really good." Svanosio gave Tiroroa Idol a trial on Monday night at Bendigo and four-year-old gelding won that too. On Sunday he takes on a bit of class and Svanosio named Chris Lang's Kyvalley Rap, the winner of four of six starts and Geoff Webster's Tendaho, also the winner of four races, as the two toughest to beat. Tiroroa Idol will start from a 10 metre handicap in the final. The first race at Charlton on Sunday is set to run at 5:17pm, the Warehouse Sales CV Trotting Championship final is race five at 7:06pm and the Group 2 $30,000 Warehouse Sales CV Pacing Championship final is race seven at 7:54pm. In the Pacing Final Emma Stewart's brilliant Restrepo, to be driven by Gavin Lang has a daunting task from a 20 metre handicap. Local trainer Glenn Douglas has up and comer Daylight Dan on the front line. Daylight Dan the winner of his last four starts in a row will be driven by Chris Alford. Kiwi Chris Butt drives Bendigo pacing heat winner My Temudjin in the Pacing final and Ruth Shinn's Steam Washed is an exciting candidate. The Central Victorian Pacing Championship is one of the most sought after prizes on the Victorian Country harness racing calendar. First conducted in 1960 for a stake of 400 pounds the status of the race has grown over the years, with many of Victoria’s finest horsemen successful in winning the event which has been held annually throughout Central Victoria. Great horses from the past including Charles Armagh (1962 - Ken Pocock), You Crovottie 1964 – Bill Davies), Lord Setay (1966 – Dick Benger) and Honest Reward (1968 – Ralph Ford) have had their name etched into the history books by winning the race, with noted reins persons Ted Demmler, Noel Shinn, Clinton Welsh, Max Wishart, Brian Gath, John Caldow, Lance Justice, Kerryn Manning, Chris Alford, Gavin Lang, Bruce Clarke all piloting winners as the race progressed through the ages. It was decided to include the Central Victorian Trotting Championships into the mix in 1984, with Admiral Aaron (John Koek) being the inaugural victor. The stature of this race will continue to be part and parcel of the Victorian Country Harness Racing scene for many years to come.- David Aldred
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15 January 2013 - Julie Douglas, the wife of leading trainer Glenn Douglas returned to the saddle at the official trials at Lord's Raceway last night.
Julie rode in a two horse Monte trial in front of the stewards to get her ticket to ride in her first Monte race at Ballarat on Ballarat Cup night, 25 January. Riding 7yo gelding Trottn On The Ritz, trained at Ballarat by Keith Douglas, Julie won the trial beating accomplished Monte performer Shea Keystone, ridden by Maree Campbell. - David Aldred Sushi Sushi - Greg Sugars 13 January 2013 - There was nothing fishy about Sushi Sushi’s return to form in last night’s Group 2 $50,000 PETStock Bendigo Pacing Cup. In fact, even with the tricky draw and last start eighth, albeit in the Victoria Cup, punters latched on to an old crowd favourite in what proved to be another success story in his distinguished career. The win notched up win number 27 for the Freddy Taiba trained gelding which included an historic run that paralleled Black Caviar’s streak. It was a night for the sentimental fans with Smoken Up taking out the Group 2 South Australia Pacing Cup in what was a sensational ten-minute window for the sport. The PETStock Bendigo Pacing Cup was run minutes later and it proved just as memorable with Sushi Sushi nailing Mah Sish on the corner. Auckland Reactor loomed as the big danger however it wasn’t to be with the son of Art Major finding plenty as Mah Sish fought back for second. Greg Sugars, driving Sushi Sushi, found himself in a nice trailing run early before hooking three-wide down the back straight on the final time, and from there he cruised up to the leaders and never looked in doubt as they ran for home. The race was filled with drama with second favourite Mustang Mach choking down during the run and falling with less than a lap remaining, changing the complexion of the race. Highview Tommy led them up early however was under pressure from a fair way out, leaving his stable mate and race favourite Auckland Reactor nowhere to go as the other two race favourites made their run. Natalie Rasmussen eventually extricated her pacer from the fence and had enough time to chase the leaders but couldn’t bridge the gap. The race was run in an a mile rate of 1:58.2 however they ripped home the last half in 54.7 with the last quarter in a blistering 26.9.In the other main race of the night at Bendigo My Escapee stamped herself as a top-class trotting mare when disposing of her opposition in the Group 2 Aldebaran Park Maori Mile with ease that belied the final margin. The record books will read a margin of a head over the $1.70 favourite, I Didn’t Do It, however her barnstorming finish was something to behold as she sprinted down the extreme outside of the track. It was the finishing burst of a mare that has plenty more to give. With 24 starts under her belt in her homeland of NZ the sky now appears the limit for My Escape who can only firm Mark Purdon’s stranglehold on the Australian harness features this year. I Didn’t Do it lost no admirers, after working hard to find the early lead, he continued to carve out quick sectionals with Aleppo Sunrise pouring the pressure on for much of the race. As they turned for home he appeared to have a little left in the tank and shot away with Cold Sister coming off his back to look the only danger. However they didn’t count on My Escapee who simply shot past them late. The winner completed the race in a mile rate of 1:57.4.- HRV MORE BENDIGO PACING CUP PHOTOS - |
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June 2013
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