Group trotting treble

Harness racing stallions on the Haras Des Trotteurs sire roster left the winners of three Group trotting races in Victoria in the space of eight days. 

Orlando Vici’s son Just Believe started the ball rolling with his brave, fighting win in a career-best 1:55.9 in the Group 1 $75,000 Bill Collins Trotters Sprint At Melton. It was his 11th success and pushed his earnings over the $200,000 mark. 

A week later Queen Elida NZ and Parisian Artiste, both four-year-old progeny of champion sire Love You and from his first commercial crop ‘down under’, scored important wins at Melton and Maryborough respectively. 

Queen Elida, Australia’s undisputed trotting queen, came from third last to score a commanding win in the Group 3 Maori Miss Trotters Free-for-all, while the highly talented Parisian Artiste overcame a 20 metre handicap and a torrid passage to claim the Group 2 $30,000 Maryborough Trotters Cup. 

Other recent Love You winners have been Central Otago (Melton), Meadowvalley Lover (Ballarat), Illawong Moonbeam (Globe Derby Park) and in New Zealand, a trio of three-year-olds in That’s What We Do (Auckland), Brother Love (Methven) and Our Golden Kenny, who scored on debut at Wyndham. 

Atout, a three-year-old filly by Quaker Jet, notched her first win at Globe Derby Park, while Champagne Charley (by Used To Me) won for the second time at Melton. 

Quaker Jet and Used To Me both have very impressive siring scores in Australia. Quaker Jet has left 19 winners from 25 starters at an average of $47,708, while Used To Me has 21 winners from 32 starters at an average of $22,983. 

by Peter Wharton, for Harnesslink