With light rain falling on Thursday night, the Young Paceway was prepared beautifully by the curators, with fast times and some exciting and close finishes expected from competitors from throughout the Western Districts and Riverina centres of NSW.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Goulburn trainer David Hewitt had a successful night, taking out both $10,000 heats of the Cordina Chicken Farms/AGL Energy Club Menangle Where Horses Fly and Young Hotel/ AGL Energy Club Menangle Pace with the five year old gelding Sand Blaster and the vastly improved Imported four year old Sky Diamond. Both pacers started favourite in their respective heat wins. Sand Blaster ($2.10) rating a slick 1:58.3 in defeating Cyclone Charlie ($7.20) and Whostolemypigeon ($5.10) with a 2 ½ metre winning margin to his credit. Sky Diamond ($1.20) rated a near record for the distance time of 1:55.6 and a more convincing winning margin of an impressive 11 ½ metres over Wrangler Duke ($57.70) and Lockton Luck ($21.80) in his heat win and looks to have the natural ability to continue his winning streak for some time to come.
Bathurst trainer and regular Young supporter Peter Bullock handed the driving responsibilities to McKayler Barnes in race two behind the Art Official gelding Lorenzo Shannon ($3.60) and he certainly was not disappointed with her efforts. Dictating her terms from the start, the middle quarters of 29.7 and 29.3 set the scene for a convincing 1 ¾ metre win over favourite Greengold ($2.50) and Im Tilly Devine ($27.50) with a mile rating of 2:00.8 to the credit of the five year old who has now won five races for his supportive owners.
Grenfell owner Clive Anderson continues to defy the odds, in more ways than one, with his well performed eight-year-old gelding Holy Camp Clive ($5.30). Driven by Mark Hewitt, the Famous Forever veteran of 76 races sat outside the leader at the bell and outstayed Toorim Lad ($33.10) and Chief Fairman ($58.30) by 5 ¾ meters in a mile rating run of 2:01.3. Clive was one of a select few who won at the final meeting at Harold Park all those years ago as an owner.
Claiming races can produce some surprising outcomes and the win by the Forbes trained seven year old Montana Maestro ($11.90) was certainly a triumph for trainer Jason Gaffney, the $4,000 price tag did not dampen the enthusiasm of his owners as he stormed home to defeat Arcachon ($6.30) and Ponte Milvio ($4.50) in an exciting and close finish. The winning margin of a head made the win that more exciting with a mile rating of 2:01.5 and a final quarter of 29.0 to the credit of the now veteran of fourteen wins. A recent Parkes winner, Leeton trainer Chris Hughes again produced Onthestraitenarrow ($1.30) in fine fettle to take out race six. Racing second at the bell, the Life Sign six-year-old proved too strong in winning over My Dolly Diva ($20.20) and early leader Son Of A Virgin ($5.90). The mile rating of 2:00.1 and two final quarters of 29.5 and 29.7 was again a testament to the track conditions and the ability of the winner who has now strung together four wins at four individual tracks.
Michael Munro was able to upset the favourite in race seven when Siotada ($(4.90) completed a long sustaining run when coming from sixth at the bell to defeat Rainbow On Fire ($2.00) and Alisons Jet ($17.40) in a race that had all the crowd on their toes until the finish. The winner ran home in 29.4 and posted a 2:01.4 mile rating giving the Village Jasper gelding his third win from twenty three starts for his owner and trainer Steve Jones.
Mark Hewitt joined David Hewitt with a winning double in race eight courtesy of an excellent drive behind Bobby Street ($3.60) who followed up his Parkes win last week in good style. Staring from an awkward gate seven, he was able to secure a good spot third at the bell and sustained a long run at that point to defeat the very fast finishing first starter Some Waratah ($4.10) and favourite Our Mach Three who led at the bell but unfortunately found the fitter John Street North gelding too strong from the four hundred metre mark.
Young will race again on Friday November 24 with the running of the $12,240 2017 Young Cherry Festival Cup over 2100 metres.
RESULTS
Race 1 6.03pm CORDINA FARMS AGL ENERGY CLUB MENANGLE WHERE HORSES FLY HEAT 1720m
1 SAND BLASTER – Trainer: Scott Hewitt, Driver: David Hewitt, Odds: $2.10 fav, Owner(s): D M Hewitt Mile Rate: 1:58:4.
Race 2 6.33pm TAB.COM.AU PACE 2100m
1 LORENZO SHANNON – Trainer: Peter Bullock, Driver: McKayler Barnes (C,cl), Odds: $3.60, Owner(s): Rayngold Pty Ltd, Mile Rate: 2:00:9.
Race 3 7.03pm YOUNG HOTEL AGL ENERGY CLUB MENANGLE COUNTRY SERIES HEAT 1720m
1 SKY DIAMOND NZ – Trainer: Brad Hewitt, Driver: David Hewitt, Odds: $1.20 fav, Owner(s): A L (Milly) Marmont, Mile Rate: 1:55:7.
Race 4 7.33pm HILLTOP EQUINE CENTRE PACE 2100m
1 HOLY CAMP CLIVE – Trainer: Robert Anderson, Driver: Mark Hewitt, Odds: $5.30, Owner(s): C J (Clive) Anderson, Mile Rate: 2:01:3.
Race 5 8.03pm CHRISTY PARK PACE 2100m
1 MONTANA MAESTRO NZ – Trainer: Jason Gaffney, Driver: Mat Rue, Odds: $11.90, Owner(s): W T Edgerton, P I M Edgerton, E J Gaffney, Mile Rate: 2:01:06.
Race 6 8.33pm DONGES SUPA IGA PACE 2100m
1 ONTHESTRAITENARROW - Trainer: Chris Hughes, Driver: Blake Jones, Odds: $1.30 fav, Owner(s): C J Hughes, C J Seymour, A J Ross, J Fuller, P Overs, Mile Rate: 2:00:1.
Race 7 9.03pm YOUNG CARWASH PACE 2100m
1 SIOTADA – Trainer: Steve Jones, Driver: Michael Munro, Odds: $4.90, Owner(s): S T (Steve) Jones, Mile Rate: 2:01:4.
Race 8 9.33pm POPPAS FUDGE FACTORY THREE-YEAR-OLD PACE 2100m
1 BOBBY STREET – Trainer: Mark Hewitt, Driver: Mark Hewitt, Odds: $3.60, Owner(s): S M (Suzanne) Nicholls, Mile Rate: 2:01:8.