Five new champs etched on country cups

Trophy cabinets are brimming with new pride after a super Sunday and Monday saw five country harness racing cups claimed across three Victorian race cards.

The fun began on Sunday in front of a heaving crowd at Birchip, when Imperial Whiz (Imperial Count) and Foolish Pleasure (A Rocknroll Dance) shone, continued at Wangaratta on Sunday night, when Sonny Brooke and Wotdidusaaay flexed, and then reached its crescendo with One Over All’s dominant Horsham Trotters Cup win.

They’re results that have seen a new co-leader in the Trots Country Cups Championship and a new leader in the trotters’ equivalent, the Maori’s Idol, with Wotdidusaaay and Hatchback among the big movers.

BIRCHIP

A terrific day’s racing spilled into a superb night of celebration at Birchip Harness Racing Club, whose Cups day drew a big attendance of locals and travellers.

Among those revelling in the celebrations were the Herbertsons, with father/trainer Ashleigh and son/driver James pairing to win the Sharps Bakery Mallee Bull Pacing Cup.

“It’s a big thrill,” James Herbertson told TrotsVision. “I love coming here every year. I’ve been wanting to win this race since we’ve been coming back here and to finally get up on a horse of my old man’s is very special.”

From gate four Herbertson held his ground early with pace on the inside from leader Double The Hunter. He settled into the one-one and then found a gap amid a blanket finish to strike late and score ahead of placegetters Dennis and Missed The Truth.

It was a more open affair in the TMC Enviro Mallee Bull Trotters Cup, with Perseverance and Tension Setting firing early with a bold battle for the front.

Perseverance held on but the pace meant the field took some time to come together, with Kerryn Manning happy to bide her time on backmarker Imperial Whiz for trainer Danny Mullan.

Mick Bellman made his play for the win on Perseverance on the last lap, separating from the pack and prompting Manning to make her charge. She soon ran past all comers to win by a handsome 21 metres.

“It’s my maiden voyage here at Birchip. It’s great to get a win here,” Manning said.

“He got a little bit hampered at the start and lost a little bit more ground, but once he got into rhythm he tacked on well.

“The leaders went a bit crazy, which helped me in the end, and he was just the class runner really.”

For complete Birchip results, click here.

WANGARATTA

Charlie Mizzi’s Wotdidusaaay (Tintin In America) showed plenty of grit to win the Yarrawonga Refrigetation & Air Conditions Wangratta Pacing Cup and with it launch to equal leader in the season’s championship.

In addition to his one championship point gained for starting in the Boort Pacing Cup, Wotdidusaaay claimed five points from Sunday night’s win to draw level with Cranbourne, Jilliby Sylvester and Major Meister at the top of the tree of the Trots Country Cups Championship.

It was hard earned, with Leigh Sutton punching to the breeze in the first lap on Wotdidusaaay, expecting cover to soon come from Boy From Bondi but instead Nathan Jack zipped straight to the lead.

That left Wotdidusaaay exposed throughout the 2210-metre cup, but the six-year-old proved up to the task, breaking clear in the third quarter and holding on in the run to the line.

“The horse got me out of trouble,” Sutton said. “He was super tonight, super strong. He was tired late, but he was going to be when he did all of the work. It’s really nice to drive a winner for Charlie.”

The Reflex Glass/J & T Joinery Wangaratta Trotters Cup was also won by a determined front runner, with Damian Wilson steering Linsay Potter’s Sonny Brooke to the lead from the standing start and setting the tempo from there.

“He stepped away pretty good, then put a few funny ones in after the 50 or 80 (metres) and then trotted good after that,” Wilson said.

“He got up on the bit and charged a little bit at times. I let him go and let him stride that little bit more every now and then and it seemed to suit him.”

He would hold on to win by three metres from Izmok, with Hateitwhenyourrite finishing third.

For complete Wangaratta results, click here.

HORSHAM

The country cups carnival then moved on to Horsham for the public holiday Monday, with the 10-race card headlined by the Woodlands Stud Horsham Trotters Cup.

And it was a dominant performance by the favourite, One Over All, who started in red figures and justified it with an impressive showing.

Anthony Butt and Hammers Law put pace into the race until Greg Sugars came knocking on the favourite, moving to the front with authority with a tick over a lap to go.

Sugars was able to then balance up, following his 28.9sec first quarter with a 32.9sec second, a breather that left plenty in the tank for the run to the line.

From there the Jess Tubbs-trained entrant proved the class horse, winning by six metres from Hatchback and Victree Hill.

All three placegetters feature prominently in the Maori’s Idol Trotting Championship, which continues on Sunday with the North West Ag Services Charlton Trotters Cup.

For complete Horsham results, click here.

by Michael Howard, for Harness Racing Victoria