Good times rolled on for harness racing couple

The good times rolled on for Larajay Farm on Saturday night when harness racing’s Jess Tubbs and Greg Sugars team produced a feature race double at Tabcorp Park Melton.

Four-year-old La Captain brought up the first leg the stable double when he led all the way in the time-honored E K Bray Country Clubs Pace Final.

The son of Captaintreacherous quickly put a space in his rivals when Sugars released the reins around the home turn holding a 10-metre margin on the line on the back of a 27.7 last 400 metres.

“I was happy with the way he gapped them as we straightened,” Sugars said.

La Captain has now won all three starts since resuming a spell.

“He needed time to grow up and mature – he had trouble holding condition and as a result was inconsistent,” he said.

“Now he is holding his condition much better and it’s showing in his performances on the racetrack.”

Later in the evening Cherokee Joe (by For A Reason) made it back-to-back wins when he outsprinted his rivals in the Group 3 Country Clubs Championship Final.

Cherokee Joe ($5.50) latched on to the back of Night School heading into the back straight and was in turn tracked up by the $2.80 favorite Belmont Royale and the pair looked set to fight the race as they made runs in unison down  the home straight.

Sugars conceded he was pleasantly surprised with the way Cherokee Joe held a two and a half metre margin on the line.

“I knew the favorite was right on my back and wouldn’t have been surprised it he got over the top of me with the way he finished off his heat win at Maryborough,” he said. “But it was a great result with the money on offer.”

Sugars said the four-year-old had an improved mindset since coming back from a spell late last year.

“He didn’t have a real good attitude but he had a good break last year and has come to terms with the way we do things now,” he said.

The impeccably French bred mare Hopeful Beauty served notice she is ready to mix it with the best trotters in the land with a stunning win in the Group 3 Melton Trotters Free For All.

Driver Josh Duggan gave the Anton Golino prepared five-year-old the run of the race in the one out one back trail before pulling out to stake her claim around the home turn and pouncing on the lead before bounding away over the concluding stages.

“This mare is just getting better and better,” Duggan said.

Duggan believes the daughter of Brilliantissime will prove competitive in better races.

“She is pretty quick from 200 to 400 metres,” he said. “With the right run in a race she can match it with any of them.”

To view the results for Melton on Saturday night click here.

By John Dunne for HRV