Hilton the hero at Swan Hill trots!!
Local part-owner/trainer Des Hilton’s very honest home bred 5Y0 Live Or Die-Sokin Wet gelding Itmademyday was victorious in the Virbac Stategy-T Pace for C3 to C5 class over 2240 metres last Thursday.
Raced in partnership with Arthur Graham, Itmademyday was driven by Ararat freelance Michael Bellman who made the long journey from Hamilton after driving a winner there during the afternoon. Crossing to lead from gate four, Itmademyday was eased running into the first turn to allow the heavily supported Sluggem to cross over from outside the front line, receiving a cosy trip for the majority of the race. Using the sprint lane, Itmademyday finished his race off strongly to prevail by 1.7 metres over the pacemaker in a mile rate of 1-57.6. Times A Bonus was 7.3 metres away in third place after racing in the open.
Bolinda trainer Brent Lilley combined with Josh Duggan to land a treble at the meeting with Islandspecialmajor, The Sparrow Hawk and Any Old Way all winning their respective races.
Three year old Art Major-Special Needs gelding Islandspecialmajor (gate three) vacated a sweet one/one trip to race in the open for the last lap, proving too strong at the finish for Trevor Patching’s Braghetta which led, with Regal Ambition using the sprint lane for third after trailing the pacemaker. The margins 1.3 X 2.7 metres in a mile rate of 1-59.6.
The Sparrow Hawk, a 4Y0 Gotta Go Cullen-Starling gelding, led for most of the 1750 metre Virbac Equimax Pace for C2 class from outside the front line to defeat Hes Novak which trailed by 3.8 metres, with Banks (four back the markers) third 13.3 metres away. The mile rate 1-55.1.
Maybe the luckiest winner of the night was 6Y0 Sundon-Whizz Way gelding Any Old Way in the Sipcan Ecopar Trotters Handicap for T0 or better class over 2240 metres after winning on protest !
Coming from a daunting 40 metre backmark, Any Old Way settled at the tail of the field, with polemaker Sky Majesty after galloping away moving past Cudgee Boy which pounced on the lead from 10 metres. Commencing a forward move three wide racing for the bell, Any Old Way joined the leader approaching the home turn and in a two horse war all the way up the running, failed by half head to pick up Sky Majesty. Josh Duggan immediately firing in a protest on return to the all clear area for excessive galloping by the winner at the start and following a long hearing, the protest was upheld. Scottish Sardius was third after a one/one trip 15.8 metres away. The mile rate 2-04.
Charlton trainer Leon Fanning combined with Inglewood’s Peter Sanderson to land the Sipcan Sledge Pace for C0 class over 2240 metres with 8Y0 Armbro Operative-Queens Chef gelding Dashing Armbro in a rate of 2-00.8 much to the delight of owner/breeder Leonie Kentish who has strong ties with Swan Hill. Retaining the front running from the pole, Dashing Armbro showed his rivals a clean pair of heels to win by 6.2 metres in advance of Hot Dogma which trailed, with Oztreos Forme (one/one) a half neck back in third place.
The Sipcan Terbynr Xtreme Pace for C0 class went the way of Junortoun duo Scott Dyer (trainer) and Ellen Tormey (driver) with ex-NSW 4Y0 Gotta Go Cullect-Sweet Barney mare Em Vee En. Given a cosy trip one/one from gate five at her first Victorian outing, Em Vee En eased three wide on the final bend and finished best to score by 3.9 metres over a death-seating Brad Cullen in a rate of 2-08.5. Balobedu (three back the markers) was 1.8 metres away in third place.
Kerryn Manning’s 5Y0 Our Sir Vancelot-Princess Cassi gelding Our Sir Ivanhoe returned to his best form when an impressive all the way victor from the pole in the Virbac Equimax Elevation Pace for C6 or better class over 2240 metres. Rated to perfection by the “Hall Of Famer”, Our Sir Ivanhoe showed plenty of courage over the concluding stages to stall off all challengers, registering a 2.3 metre margin over Lucky Lombo (one/one) which bloused Flojos Gold along the sprint lane by a half head. Raced by Greg Bettiol and partners, Our Sir Ivanhoe recorded his 8th success in 45 outings, returning a mile rate of 1-58.7.
First starter Cest La Classe, a Kiwi bred daughter of Bettors Delight and Irene’s Van Dyke captured the BR&C Agents 3Y0 Pace over 1750 metres for Junortoun trainer Danny O’Bree formerly from the Swan Hill/Pyangil area. Driven by Ellen Tormey, Cest La Classie led out from the pole, before being headed by another of the Lilley/Duggan team Loveisamyth. Held in a tight pocket approaching the home turn as Gone Too far had sprinted sharply off a one/one passage to challenge the leader. Shouldering into the clear as the winning post loomed, Cest La Classe sprouted wings to gain the day by a head from Gone Too Far, with Loveisamyth a half neck back in third place in what was the most exciting finish of the evening. The mile rate 1-57.6.
Kialla’s Laura Crossland after a mixed night, snared the BR&C Agents 2Y0 Pace over 1750 metres with Sportswriter-Skake It Up Baby gelding Lochinvar Hugo in a rate of 1-58.7. Given every opportunity one/one from gatesix, Lochinvar Hugo finished full of running on turning to defeat a death-seating Rothko by 2.2 metres, with the pacemaker Whitehaven Lass a half head away third.
*** The next Swan Hill meeting will be Thursday August 17.
