Escobar takes the gold

Earl Swain and his wife Toni were rightly proud when Escobar (Betterthancheddar) won his first harness racing start at Winton in today’s 2400 metre mobile. Williamson took the talented pacer to the front and he won easily by a length and a half.

ESCOBAR REPLAY

The couple bred the four year old before he was sold to clients of Australian trainer Tim Butt and placed with Branxholme trainer Nathan Williamson.

Escobar is named after Columbian drug lord Pablo Escobar.

“We were watching tele one night and the programme about Escobar’s lost diamonds and gold and I said to Toni, we’ll name him Escobar hoping that he’ll bring in the gold.”

The four year old is out of the Mach Three mare Supreme Belle.

“We bought her at the yearling sales for $16,000. She won three races and beat Beaudiene Bad Babe at Wyndham in 1-55 (incidentally driver by Williamson) one day. She was the fastest qualifier for the Jewels that year, but we had to pull out because she got a crack in her knee a month before.”

As a broodmare Supreme Belle’s best performer so far has been Rum Delight which won twice here and nineteen more times in Australia winning over $150,000.

Since Escobar, Supreme Belle has left foals by He’s Watching, Rock N Roll Heaven, Sweet Lou and Sky Major.

Swain broke in Escobar and took him to workouts and trials before qualifying him at Winton in December 2021. He was then sold to clients of Butt’s including Syd and Shona Brown.

“Tim told Nathan to give the horse a few starts here and then he’ll probably go over to Australia.”

Meanwhile talented trotter Wai Key Wee (The Pres) returned to winning form when he won The Neville Cleaver Fishing Mobile Trot.

It was a masterful training feat by Alister Black as the five year old hadn’t started at the races for over a year.

Although off the pace early and still some way from the two leaders, inside the last 400 metres driver Sarah O’Reilly pulled the ear plugs and the horse let down nicely to win, running away from favourite Only One Way with a margin of two lengths.

WAI KEY WEE REPLAY

For complete results click here.

by Bruce Stewart