A Hewitt party warms up the Paceway

GOULBURN trainer-driver David Hewitt is no stranger to extreme cold so Wednesday night‘s chill at Gold Crown Paceway didn’t bother him in the slightest.

And a driving double was the perfect way to make that clear.

Spike Robyn NZ, which he trains, started the night off in the best possible way, leading  throughout a C1 sprint and pulling out all stops to just hold off Luke McCarthy’s Major Currency, which did all the work on his outside, and Amanda Turnbull’s Hey Porsha, which sat on him and came along the inside in the straight.

Despite a closing half of 58.5s and a mile rate of 1:57.3 , Hewitt’s of the opinion that the half-brother to Chariots placegetter Salty Robyn  “doesn’t seem to go so well when he leads…he was flat strap holding on out there tonight.”

His driving double was completed with Roger That, one of two first starters for son Brad in the 2CO/2C1 class sixth event, and again it was an all the way affair.

The Sportswriter gelding, a $10,000 purchase for Brad’s wife Milly at last year’s APG Sydney Sale,  momentarily bobbled out of his gear on the first turn, allowing Karloo Kokoda to slip through to a short-lived lead before he balanced up to retake that position.

After a first half in 59.4s he was allowed more rein going down the back the last time, and ran closing quarters of 28.6 and 28.9 seconds to rate 1:56.4 for the sprint journey, impressive time for any two-year-old, particularly on debut.

Karloo Kokoda held on strongly, runner-up for the third time now in eight starts, while Brad Hewitt gained third spot with his other debutant The Texas Ranger – the first foal of his classy mare Shez All Magic – which finished a long way from the winner but absolutely stormed home after appearing to be unbalanced for much of the event.

“This is the first time away from home for both of them,” the senior Hewitt pointed out, “ so it was a big step. I didn’t get to see what Brad’s bloke was doing, but the Sportswriter is a very nice-moving horse. I’m quite impressed with him.

“We’ll have to sit down at home and work out what to do from here with each of them.”

“Home” is the Goulburn Paceway, where the father-son team has 27 in work, 19 in former raceday stalls converted into a barn, and the remaining 8 in accommodation across the road.

That location places them within a couple of hours of Menangle, most Riverina tracks and especially Bathurst, where they are just about regarded as “locals”, and are always well supported by punters.

Wednesday also proved satisfying for another member of the Hewitt clan, with brother Bernie driving Scarlet Babe to a good win in 3YO grade – receiving racecaller Mitch Manners’ Drive of the Night award – and training Makoa to win the fast-class , Luke McCarthy dive-bombing the favoured pair Gotta Go Jazzy Jet NZ and Hidden Courage to score in the night’s most exciting finish.

Hewitt is preparing to head south for next week’s Breeders Crown heat at Kilmore with the Gold Crown winner College Chapel, which looked close to his top with a 1:55 demolition job of a trial field at Bathurst earlier in the week.

Other winners :

Miss Rodriquez ( Jason Turnbull for Wayne White ), in C2/C3 grade, losing her possie after a succession of runners worked around to the chair and then coming with a big finish for successive wins on her home track

Bronski Belle, in a C0 Fillies/Mares sprint, Robbie Morris ( for partner Kerryann Turner) leading throughout on the Major Bronski filly, a brilliant last half in 56.2s reponsible for her 1:55.8 result

Ominous Warning, all the way in the night’s best of 1:54.6 for John O’Shea, trainer Peter Trevor-Jones utilising the conditions for the Reward Series perfectly to give the speedy six-year-old his fourth consecutive heat win.

Terry Neil