The Queen takes the Crown

Queen Elida (Love You) captured two big prizes on Saturday night (Mar. 25) with another quality display at Victorian harness racing headquarters.

The Brent Lilley-trained squaregaiter prevailed in the Group 1 Aldebaran Park Sumthingaboutmaori Trotters Free For All, and with that secured overall honours in the Kerryn Manning Trotting Mares Triple Crown.

For her victory in the Sumthingaboutmaori and La Coocaracha two weeks earlier, Queen Elida finished three points clear of Sleepee in the three-round series and pocketed a $10,000 bonus for connections.

Champion reinsman Chris Alford found a spot in behind leader Sleepee through the early stages of Saturday night’s feature and then bided his time with Queen Elida through much of the 2760m trip. Im Ready Jet, who galloped at the start, surged up to challenge Sleepee down the back straight, and while she easily raced past the early pilot, the race favourite had enjoyed a much easier run and eventually moved past to win by 1.8m.

Im Ready Jet was a brave second, with Ofortuna getting home well to finish third.

“She’s just great to drive,” Alford said.

“She adapts to any situation and with the run she had I thought she probably would have won a little bit easier, but she got the job done.

“I always thought we had (Im Ready Jet) covered after its early mistake, but she’s getting a bit clever now – she only does what she has to.”

Alford’s victory was his 131^st at Group 1 level and the 54-year-old continues to close in on the magical 8000-win milestone.

“No more goals anymore, I threw all that out a while ago. I’m just happy driving winners now,” he said.

“Big races like this are great for good owners and trainers, but I still get a kick out of driving like a winner at Charlton for Ray Cross the other day.

“Every win is special in its own way.”

Queen Elida has now won 20 of 37 career starts, with prizemoney earnings up over $400,000.

Chris Lang is one of the sport’s greatest conditioners of squaregaiters and he landed a quinella in the $50,000 Aldebaran Park Vicbred Platinum Home Grown Classic (3YO Trotting Colts and Geldings) Final earlier in the night.

Lang took the reins of short-priced favourite Imhavinagoodtime (Majestic Son) and he duly saluted despite a brilliant finishing surge from stablemate Majestic Mover, who closed to within a half-neck for John Caldow.

“He obviously had a very good education with Shane Gallagher and the Yeomans team there at Homestead Farm in Doreen,” Lang said of the Majestic Son gelding, who won his Home Grown heat on debut on March 15.

“They know how to look after them and have been getting many winners for many years.

“He came to me in very good order, and we basically just had to keep him rolling along. I couldn’t believe a month ago he was going to do what he has done his last two starts.”

Lang said Imhavinagoodtime and Majestic Mover would now go for a break and expects improvement from both when they return to the races.

Shesawish (Wishing Stone) then provided Rochester trainer Neville Pangrazio with one of the biggest thrills of his career when she led all the way to take out the Aldebaran Park Vicbred Platinum Home Grown Classic (3YO Trotting Fillies) Final.

Reinsman Anthony Butt took her straight to the front at the start and that’s where she stayed. Key rival Kyvalley Amanda poured the pressure on approaching the straight, but galloped to allow Shesawish an easy trot home for victory.

“Nev and Louise (Pangrazio) have done a fantastic job with her, as they do with all of their horses,” Butt said.

“She’s beautifully mannered for a young trotter and she looked fantastic tonight, didn’t she?

“They’ve done a great job with her and I’m sure there’s a lot ahead of her.”

Lang claimed the night’s only winning double when he trained and drove Giveitatry to victory in the Peter Jackson Menswear Vicbred Pace.

For complete race results, click here.

by Tim O’Connor for Harness Racing Victoria