Pitting a high with treble

Shepparton horseman Mark Pitt has had some good days and nights in the sulky during the past two or three years and last Friday night’s Melton harness racing meeting was right up there with the best of them.

Pitt landed a driving treble — his first metropolitan hat-trick — which included the $50000 Empire Stallions Vicbred Platinum Home Grown final for three-year-old fillies with a pacer close to his heart, Shez All Rock.

The Emma Stewart-trained Shez All Rock is owned by Pitt’s parents Ian and Leanne.

A Rock N Roll Heaven filly, Shez All Rock had trots fans in awe when she won her heat on debut at Bendigo in scorching 1:53.7 mile rate time.

She was too good again for her rivals in the final last Friday night, rating 1:55 and beating Soho Burning Love, Seattle Trace with the local hope, the Brent Thomson-trained, Sheer Modern filling fourth placing.

Signs were promising early that Pitt could be in for a good night when he drove the Amanda Turnbull-trained Carter Bromac to victory in the opening event.

After completing the driving double on Shez All Rock in the feature he then completed the hat-trick on the Dean Braun-trained Carlas Pixel.

The win of Carlas Pixel also completed a hat-trick for the Courage Under Fire mare who had won at her previous two starts at Geelong and Melton when also driven by Pitt.

“I’ve had a treble at Bendigo and I have driven four winners at meetings at Albury and Wagga, but this is the first treble I’ve had at Melton,’’ Pitt said.

Pitt’s partner Lisa Bartley also enjoyed a win at the meeting, reining the extra-smart Majordan to victory which completed a training double for Turnbull.

Majordan has now won five of his last eight starts with Bartley in the sulky for two of these wins.

Pitt and Bartley are now preparing a team of 11 horses at Ross Pyke’s training establishment at Lemnos near Shepparton.

Back on top of game

Star pacer San Carlo did not take long to return to doing what he does best — winning.

The Steve O’Donoghue-trained and Bec Bartley-driven seven-year-old, who lost no admirers when he finished third at his previous start to the well-performed Ameretto and Tee Cee Bee Macray at Melton, had an effortless win at Bendigo last Saturday night in a C6 or better class race, taking his record to 18 wins in 21 starts.

Bartley gradually worked San Carlo to the front and he was never threatened after that, rating 1:56.2 for the 2150m trip.

O’Donoghue is aiming the exciting pacer at the $200000 Victoria Cup on October 14 at Melton, but will look for a suitable race to top off his preparation in the build up to that feature.

Perth Inter Dominion plans are also still on San Carlo’s agenda, all going well, O’Donoghue said.

‘‘He is down a bit in the noms (order of preference to get a run) at the moment, but we’ll just have to see what happens.’’

Kima’s on a roll

There is an old Aussie saying that goes ‘‘you can’t keep a good woman down’’.

It may not be as fashionable in Sweden as it is here, but it’s certainly applicable to one of its own at the moment.

Swedish horsewoman Kima Frenning has been making her presence felt since adding driving to her monte riding in the past few months and continues to chalk up the winners.

Frenning reined Epaulette to victory for trainer David Aiken with a patient drive in an M1-M2 class event at Melton last Friday night and then partnered another Aiken-trained pacer, Ima Rocknroll Diva, to victory the following night at Bendigo.

A seven-year-old Four Starzz Shark gelding Epaulette has been around a bit with 60 starts in Queensland and NSW before coming south to join the Aiken barn.

Epaulette was having just the fourth outing for Aiken but had 17 wins before coming south.

Frenning had Epaulette locked away four back on the pegs and he stormed home along the sprint lane to claim victory.

Epaulette’s dam French Flair is by the former great pacer Preux Chevalier.

Ima Rocknroll Diva was having her fifth outing and has now won successive races after winning at her previous start at Shepparton on August 31.

Well worth the miss

Kyabram trainers have had another good week.

Mark Watson even gave up watching his beloved Kyabram Bombers reserves and thirds football teams book their spot in Sunday’s GVL grand finals to take two pacers to Swan Hill.

It ended up being a big day with one of his pacers, Recork, saluting and his other runner, Fleeting Grin running third. Both were driven by Watson’s brother Luke.

Another mad Kyabram footy fan and trots trainer Graham Lyon was in the winners’ circle at Kilmore on Monday with five-year-old pacer Mana Master notching his third win from 19 tries.

Byrneside horseman Damian Wilson had Mana Master take the sit on the pacemaker before sprint laning to victory.

Places has the paces

Pacer Hes Going Places certainly went places — and fast — at Bendigo last Saturday night.

Trained at Lancaster by Rod Woods Sr and raced by family members Hes Going Places ran his rivals off their legs in an 1150m dash for RO Only class pacers.

Driver Chris Alford utilised Hes Going Places’ barrier one draw over the extra short trip and sent him straight to the front where he dictated terms in 1:54.7 mile rate time with a 57.2 last half.

Although a seven-year-old entire Hes Going Places, who is by Totally Ruthless, was having just his ninth race start.

Prior to breaking his duck at Bendigo he had run four minor placings, including two of these at his last three starts, which convinced punters he was overdue for a win and they sent him out a $2.30 favourite.

Dream run continues

Shepparton pacer A Special Dream can’t do much wrong at the moment.

The seven-year-old warrior of 121 starts is racing in career best form and has not missed a top three placing in his last nine starts with three wins included in this formline.

A Special Dream’s latest win was achieved at Monday’s Kilmore meeting when he was driven to victory in a C1 Only class race for concession drivers by Ryan Duffy.

Duffy drove a patient race in the six-horse field, settling three back on the pegs before pushing through gaps which opened up turning for home to get into clear running.

A Special Dream did the rest, running all over his rivals in the concluding stages.

Ryan Duffy has now driven A Special Dream to his last three wins and has been on the pacer for five of his six placings.

It’s a real family affair with Ryan’s father Steve training the pacer which was bred by Sharon Britten and is owned by her and her mother Lorraine Duffy and Bryan Johnstone.

Rocking along nicely

The David Aiken-trained pacer Hot To Rock reached a monetary milestone with his win at Monday’s Kilmore meeting.

The Rocknroll Hanover five-year-old took his prizemoney earnings to more than $50000 with the win, the seventh of his 41 starts. There have also been 16 minor placings.

Hot To Rock was reined to an all-the-way victory by Josh Aiken who has driven the pacer to six of his wins. Lisa Bartley was aboard for the other win.

Hot To Rock had his previous win several starts previously when he scored at Shepparton in early July.

A Radical decision

Congupna horseman Shane Gilligan’s decision to make the trip to Leeton last Friday with handy pacer Radical Art proved a wise one.

Clearing her rivals from barrier five at the start Radical Art led throughout to win at odds of nearly 20/1 despite having finished third at his previous start at Shepparton on September 6.

The win was achieved at the daughter of Art Major’s 50th start and broke a run of 16 starts away from the winners’ circle.

Her previous win was achieved at an Albury meeting in February.

Owned by Marianne Barca it was Radical Art’s fourth win, but there have also been 14 minor placings.

Certainly no spoil

Those punters who backed Spoilt Dillinger on the Ubet tote to win at Northam in Western Australia last Saturday night would have been gutted after the race.

Spoilt Dillinger duly got the spoils and on Ubet paid just more than $11 for the win.

But on the TAB he paid $99 and on the NSW tote $106.

But those Ubet punters who took the fixed odds would have been content as he paid 100/1.

Who will be best?

David Aiken-trained superstars Hectorjayjay and Lennytheshark are among finalists in this year’s prestigious Harness Racing Victoria Horse of the Year awards.

The pair has been nominated in the aged pacers section in the awards with the winners to be revealed at the Gordon Rothacker Medal Night on Sunday October 22.

Aiken also has a nomination, Maorisfavouritesun, in the aged trotters entires and geldings section, while Seymour horseman Bill Morgan’s star trotter Maori Law is in the field for the four-year-old trotting entires and geldings gong.

Horse of the Year contenders are judged on their performances anywhere while trained in Victoria.

This year’s Victorian Horse of the Year finalists are:

2YO pacing colts and geldings: Lumineer, Poster Boy, Tam Major.

2YO pacing fillies: Molly Kelly, Nostra Beach, Nostra Villa.

3YO pacing colts and geldings: Jilliby Kung Fu, Our Little General, Stars Align.

3YO pacing fillies: Miss Graceland, Petacular, Tell Me Tales.

4YO pacing entires and geldings: Dont Hold Back, Mr Mojito, Rock Of America.

4YO pacing mares: Heavens Trend, Rocknroll Magic, Whirily School.

Aged pacing entires and geldings: Hectorjayjay, Lennytheshark, Major Crocker.

Aged pacing mares: Ameretto, Bettor Downunder, Milly Perez.

2YO trotting colts and geldings: La Grange, Smashthemcalder, Wobelee.

2YO trotting fillies: Aleppo Jewel, Moonlight Dream, Moonshine Linda.

3YO trotting colts and geldings: Deltasun, Magicool, War Spirit.

3YO trotting fillies: Dance Craze, Kinvara Sue, Une Belle Allure.

4YO trotting entires and geldings: Conon Bridge, Enrolled, Maori Law.

4YO trotting mares: Aldebaran Eve, Into The Unknown, Red Hot Tooth.

Aged trotting entires and geldings: Glenferrie Typhoon, Maorisfavouritesun, The Boss Man.

Aged trotting mares: Heavenly Sister, Maori Time, Sunny Ruby.

Coming up

Tomorrow: Cranbourne (n).

Sunday: Mildura (t).

Monday: Hamilton (d).

Tuesday: Ballarat (n).

Wednesday: Bendigo (n).

Thursday: Melton (n).

Reprinted with permission of The Shepparton News