Hryhorec/McPherson combo continue winning

Harness racing trainer-driver Ryan Hryhorec has built up a highly successful association with champion Victorian breeder Duncan McPherson and it continued at Globe Derby Park on Saturday.

Aldebaran Stiles (Aldebaran Eagle), having his first run for Hryhorec, proved too strong in the Dacinginthedark M @ Aldebaran Park Three-Year-Old Trotters Of The Future (2230m).

Solidly backed at $2.80, Aldebaran Stiles had the run behind the leader to the home turn before dashing up the sprint lane to score by three metres from All The Trix ($6.50) from the Wasleys stable of Claire Goble, with a deadheat for third four metres back between Majestic Summer ($9) and Hayoak ($34) trained and driven by Dean Girardi at Angle Vale.

The winner was bred and is owned by McPherson’s Aldebaran Lodge Pty Ltd.

Formerly trained by former South Australian Geoff Webster in Victoria, the gelding was sent to Hryhorec at Reeves Plains after leading and breaking at Geelong on August 4.

Hryhorec said Webster had been happy for Aldebaran Stiles to be sent to South Australia.

“Geoff said to Duncan, I think it is time for Stiles and me to have a parting of the ways,” Hryhorec said.

“He is a nice young trotter who should have a good campaign here in Adelaide.

“I really like him and tonight it was only a matter of waiting for the sprint lane. He travelled well and sprinted strongly.

As Aldebaran Park sponsored the Trotters Of The Future race, McPherson was able to collect his own trophy.

Hryhorec said Aldebaran Stiles would now contest a $9,999 event on Saturday week where many of his opponents from Saturday would line up again.

Majestic Summer, trained by Luke O’Neill and driven by David Smith, held the lead from gate one which forced the $1.85 favourite Bullion Girl, driven by Bernadette Page, to sit parked and as result when the pressure came on, the favourite faded to finish fifth.

All The Trix, driven by Greg Rogers, came from the rear of the field and was winding up powerfully over the final 200 metres but had to be content with second. He is likely to attempt to go one better in a fortnight.

Gawler trainer Aaron Bain, who leads the SA Trainer’s premiership, came away with a winning double.

Weona Miss Fortune showed dazzling acceleration to come from the tail of the field to win the Bickford’s Pace (1800m) while Fletch Maguire continued his unbeaten run in Australia, taking out the 1800-Got-Junk? Pace (1800m). Both winners were driven by Wayne Hill.

A four-year-old mare that won first up for Bain at Horsham, Weona Miss Fortune was backed from $3.50 into $2.80 favourite and her supporters would have been a bit worried when she was near last coming towards the end of the back straight. However, when Hill asked her to sprint, she gathered her rivals up within 200 metres and won running away by six metres.

The quality of the victory prompted Bain to make the four-year-old’s next run a mares’ heat of the Vicbred Super Series at Shepparton on Thursday, August 31 where she will be joined by stablemate Fletch Maguire who will contest an entires and geldings heat.

Fletch Maguire, which has now won all seven races since being purchased from New Zealand, led throughout to win his race by four metres in a quick mile rate of 1:54.6.

The Ryan Racing Pace Final (1800m) was a repeat of last week’s heat with big mare Big Black Betty leading throughout from gate one.

Trained by Jill Neilson at Penfield, Big Black Betty started a red-hot $1.55 favourite and was never really troubled scoring by six metres.

The four-year-old mare has won three of her last five starts.

Shazzam, trained at Kudla by Jeremy Seal, landed some good bets in an all-the-way win in the Bianco Reinforcing Pace (1800m).

After opening at $2.80, the support kept coming and the five-year-old gelding ran the $1.65 favourite and won effortlessly by 11-1/2 metres with driver Samantha Pascoe controlling the tempo and dashing him up the home straight.

For complete race results, click here.

From HRSA Media