Love You mare continues her dominance in WA

Another week and another harness racing winner for Nigel Johns, with his stable star Luvaflair (Love You) continuing to assert her dominance in the trotters’ events here in WA.

With 82 starts under her belt, she now has 17 wins and 27 placings to her name, with Mondays win at $16 odds a bit of a surprise.

With Donald Harper a late scratching from the first and the drive now in the very capable hands of Lauren Harper, Luvaflair began well from the 40m handicap over the 2631m journey and after the $1.22 favourite Our Maestoso NZ did things wrong heading into the first turn, it soon opened up the race for value punters, with Luvaflair eventually going on to win by an impressive 21.2m margin.

The Johns stable had the two runners in the opening event, with charismatic Peachee finish in third placing, another great day out for the team, with Johns later joking about his ‘Red headed ATM’ getting the job done for her east coast owners.

It’s hard not to get excited about the chestnut mare, with her runs continuing to show her ability and tenacity in the square trotters’ events.

LUVAFLAIR REPLAY

Johns, who is known to love a challenge has definitely got himself just that, with 13-year-old So Sancho making his debut to trials at Pinjarra I the 3YO and older educational trial tomorrow.

Having spent plenty of time in work, the dashing grey stallion has been on the back burner with Johns concentrating on his trotters, but with this his last season to race, the pair have stepped it up and will go around in the first tomorrow afternoon, although they’re not expecting much from the aged horse, they’re just hoping they can get that maiden win before its too late.

Pinjarra hosted two trotters’ event on Monday, with race three the mobile start trot over the 2692m going the way of Thats Not My Gait for David Young and Aiden De Campo.

De Campo, who was having a bit of a rough one so far that day with two from two galloping in their events, it was lucky ‘Audrey’ was on her best behaviour, with the $1.90 favourite bringing up her third win in WA since making her return just 10 starts ago. Young confirmed it was his ‘stuff up’ last week when he added a hood to her gear, but this week’s win was a redeemer for the 37-year-old.

Bred for pacing, Thats Not My Gait wasn’t having a bar of the hopples, when the decision was made to try her as a trotter, a decision that has proved very fruitful for her owners, with the now five-year-old mare just shy of $100,000 in stakes with 10 wins to her name from just 48 starts.

Monday’s victory puts Young just 18 wins away from 200 training successes, with Thats Not my Gait heading to Gloucester Park next Friday night, September 1, in the 3YO+ SS Trot over the 2503m journey, with Young hoping they get a nice draw in the RBD event.

For complete race results, click here.

by Ashleigh Paikos, for RWWA