Galvarino to contest heat of Gold Crown

The Bathurst Gold Crown is under way and we wish Tamworth harness racing trainer Ashlea McKinnon all the best with her pacer Galvarino, who will be engaged in the Lion Nathan Gold Crown Heat 4 on Friday night.

The Hurrikane Kingcole colt is striking in looks and had his first start on the Bathurst Paceway on March 2, before finishing fourth at Newcastle on a wet and heavy track under McKinnon's training.

Galvarino will commence from the one barrier, with Richard Williams to take the reins.

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GOOD luck also to Tamworth owners Wendy and Maurie Mondolo, whose pacer Jackomondo will commence from the nine barrier in the third heat of the Gold Crown. The horse is trained at Maitland by Peter Hedges, who will take the reins.

The Bathurst Gold Crown Carnival commenced on Wednesday night, with Maitland father and son Guy and Mitch Chapple having success in making their way into their final after La Cabeza Gem won the Garrards Horse & Hound Gold Tiara Heat 2.

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THE Carnival of Cups meeting last Sunday at Armidale was conducted in all its splendour and produced plenty of winners, with some of those special moments in harness racing along the way.

It was also the last meeting in the North West that saw patrons allowed to be in attendance at harness meetings due to the Covid-19 virus.

The opening event saw Moneymatters produce an impressive 6.5-metre win. The horse is trained and driven by Scotty Jon Welsh and raced by his brother Rory. Scotty Jon also picked up the drive of the day.

The win of Glen Innes Boy in the Bill Barraclough and Kevin Ward Memorial also proved popular, with reinsman Dean Chapple wearing the silks of the late Bill Barraclough (gold and a red Maltese cross) in the race.

"I loved old Barra and it was good to drive in his colours," said Chapple after an all-the-way win.

Glen Innes Boy is raced by former Glen Innes resident Dawson, who now lives in the Hunter Valley and was was trackside to witness the win of the gelding. Glen Innes Boy is trained by Dawson's good mate Ron Neal, of Quirindi.

"It's not too bad when you win a race with your best mates," Dawson said.

THE win of Kid Montana in the $12,000 Armidale Cup certainly proved to be another popular win for the Narrabri pacer, who now has a Narrabri Cup, Wee Waa Cup and an Armidale Cup to his credit.

At this stage it looks like Kid Montana will be heading to Newcastle for his next start, so check your form guides.

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NARRABRI trainer Peter Shepherdson also had a good day at the office at Armidale when he trained a double – Kid Montana and Capital Cullect, who paid $23 for the win. Kid Montana paid $1.22 for the win as the race favourite.

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ANOTHER of the Armidale feature races was the $12,000 Golden Horse Shoe for Three Year Olds, won by Queensland pacer Mummy's Boy – trained by John Edmunds.

The gelding was driven by Lola Weidemann. He is another pacer worth keeping in the little black book as the Heston Blue Chip gelding has had nine race starts for four wins – three of them at Albion Park.