Speedy squaregaiter sets new track record

Hopeful Beauty (Brillantissime) upstaged her more high-profile harness racing stablemate to set a new track record for the trotting sprint trip at Shepparton on Wednesday night.

With Ryan Duffy at the controls, the Anton Golino-trained mare zipped home along the sprint lane to pip rivals Sleepee and Im Ready Jet and win the second heat of the Lyn McPherson Memorial Breed For Speed Gold Series.

The 1:55.2 mile rate was the quickest ever seen at Shepparton by a trotter over the 1690m mobile start trip, with the victory a 12th in the career of Hopeful Beauty.

Duffy also scored with Chris Angove-trained Ebonys Avenger in the Lyn McPherson Memorial Breed For Speed Silver Series second heat, while Donna Castles trained the quinella in the Bronze Series qualifier when Lindy Grace beat stablemate Dances.

The series is for trotting mares, with Gold (NR 67-120), Silver (NR 52-66) and Bronze (4YO and older – NR up to 51) categories.

Horses that qualified through the two rounds of heats will now progress to finals at Tabcorp Park Melton on February 25, an all-trotting meeting that incorporates the annual WomenCan and Team Teal “Night at the Trots” function.

WATCH HOPEFUL BEAUTY’S WIN AT SHEPPARTON BELOW:

For complete race results, click here.

by Tim O’Connor, for Harness Racing Victoria