Warragul Pacing Cup called off mid-race

The feature Warragul Pacing Cup was called off mid-race on Sunday, in a first for one of Victoria’s longest running country feature harness racing events.

Six-year-old Cranbourne pacer Im Eugene fell when travelling in the front half of the field at the 1200-metre mark.

Driver James Herbertson was uninjured and with officials helped Im Eugene back to its feet. The remaining competitors eased their charges and stewards declared the 2627-metre contest would not be rerun, given horses had already travelled a fair amount of the race distance.

Otherwise Sunday’s revival of the Warragul Pacing Cup should be used to give trotting the kick along it needs in Gippsland.

The $17,500 Downtowner Warragul Pacing Cup was the last leg of a massive eight-race series run across three Victorian tracks in recent weeks.

Six qualifying divisions of the Cup were staged between Cranbourne and Ballarat, with the final and a Consolation race programmed for Warragul on Sunday.

Among the competitors in the final were horses trained at venues as far away as Charlton and Terang, indicating the willingness of trainers to travel with their horses for the right race.

Also on the day the Eddie Evison Memorial Trotters Cup went to Virginia Clowers for trainer Brent Lilley and driver Chris Alford. The four-year-old mare has now won six races from only 24 starts and defeated Love Gun and Keayang Stuka.

It was the second leg of a driving double for Alford, who drove the first race winner, Cranbourne-trained Yogi Sun.

Former local driver Jodi Quinlan returned to Logan Park for a race winning drive with Olly Odd Potts in the third race for Wangaratta South trainer Sharon Hahne.

Local horses were in the money throughout the afternoon with Blazin Heaven and Illawong Danny also successful.

Logan Park was buzzing on Sunday between the diehard local trots fans, visiting participants, invited guests, families and once a year racegoers. Eastern Victoria is home to some of the best trotting infrastructure in Victoria – three well run clubs, excellent racetracks and stabling facilities.

Next Warragul race meeting will be on the King’s Birthday holiday Monday in June.

by Kyle Galley, for HRV