Electric Cup win

A dominant performance has not only captured Boots Electric another coveted prize but also helped book the Russell Jack-trained pacer a chance at more TAB Summer of Glory.

Last year’s 4YO Bonanza winner looked in a class of his own in Sunday’s Jim Phillips Memorial Cobram Pacing Cup, with reinsman Leigh Sutton blazing a path to the front in a fashion that even surprised him.

It would set the stage for a convincing win and Emilio and Mary Rosati’s talented Somebeachsomewhere five-year-old will now chase even more prize money, having been nominated for this Saturday’s Neatline Homes Shepparton Pacing Cup.

“He’s a good horse this horse, he’s already a Group 1 winner,” Sutton told TrotsVision, with Boots Electric having last year won both the Group 1 4YO Bonanza and Group 2 South Australian Pacing Cup.

“I’d say they’re going to aim him at a few better ones, he deserves his shot.”

He proved that on Sunday, starting in gate nine and following through stablemate Blue Chip Delight, who crossed Ideal Escape to lead before taking Boots Electric’s back.

Sutton was able to set the pace before putting on the after-burners for the run to the line, finishing off in a 55.4-second last half at the end of the 2678-metre Group 3 cup.

“I thought there would be pressure from outside (early) and I would have to duck and weave and maybe have to wrestle my way there (to the front),” Sutton said. “When I get got there that easy, it was probably too easy really.

“I thought ‘oh well, I’ll just let him bowl along’. He’s a happier horse if you don’t fight him. He proved that, he won very easily in the end.”

Illawong Stardust also produced a front-running performance to win the Central Murray Credit Union Cobram Trotters Cup earlier in the day, though reinsman Brian Gath had to work a little harder to take control of the Group 2.

Gath extracted himself from gate eight and then shot from the rear of the field to the front with a tick under two laps to go.

With 400 metres left the challengers came and initially Scallywag Sam looked to shade Illawong Stardust, but the Tony Peacock-trained trotter responded and was able to hold off an impressive late charge from Well Defined to win.

Peacock dedicated Illawong Stardust’s win to the late breeder Martin Hartnett, who pared brilliant broodmare Lunar Landing with Muscle Hill to produce the five-year-old, who is owned by Kaye Hartnett.

By Michael Howard for HRV