Volstead, Driscoll dominate Vicbred trotting series

The American horse Volstead and Ballarat breeder Pat Driscoll were the dominant forces from a breeding standpoint in the heats of the Haras Des Trotteurs sponsored Vicbred Super Series for trotters at Geelong.

Volstead, a son of Cantab Hall, sired four winners on the night including a clean sweep of the three-year-old fillies’ division with Worth Waiting and the unbeaten pair Violet Stanford and Keayang Zahara.

The remaining Volstead winner was the undefeated three-year-old gelding Derek The Jet, one of three winners bred by Driscoll’s Yabby Dam Farms. The others were brilliant four-year-old The Locomotive and the three-year-old colt Valtino.

Volstead, the leading sire of three-year-old trotters and second on the two-year-old list, will be represented by eight of the 12 finalists in the $100,000 three-year-old fillies’ final at Melton on Saturday night.

The Locomotive will be looking to make an historic clean sweep of the series at Melton, while Violet Stanford, who is unbeaten in eight attempts, and Valtino will both be aiming for their second Vicbred titles when they line up in their respective Group 1 deciders.

The French horse Love You and the American import Muscle Mass both landed winning doubles on the night. Love You was represented by the three-year-old colts Titan Stride and Valtino, while Muscle Mass left the four-year-old male winners Fouroutoffive and The Locomotive.

In the Alabar Bloodstock sponsored pacing series, Always B Miki and Sweet Lou shared the siring honours with three semi-final winners each and American Ideal got two.

Always B Miki left the winners of both two-year-old colts and geldings’ semis in Always Hot and Go Miki and the three-year-old colt Kingman, Sweet Lou sired the two-year-old filly Let Her Roll, the four-year-old gelding Little Louie and the four-year-old mare Sweet Bella and American Ideal produced the three-year-old semi victors Best Deal (colt) and Renewal (filly).

The only breeders with multiple winners were Peter Gleeson (Best Deal, Always Hot and Go Miki) and Bruce and Craig Cameron (Let Her Roll and Best Deal).

The late Dr Martin Hartnett bred a Vicbred Super Series pacing semi-final winner in Sweet Bella and a trotting heat winner in Exalted.

Catch A Wave (Captaintreacherous), who captured his ninth Group 1 success in the $150,000 Len Smith Mile at Menangle, was bred and raised at Benstud Standardbreds in northern Victoria.

Snowiewillrev, the winner of the Tasmanian Sweepstakes Final for two-year-old colts and geldings at Hobart, was bred by Clarendon (near Ballarat) breeder Gary Toulmin. The Stay Hungry youngster is undefeated in four outings to date.

by Peter Wharton, for Harness Racing America