ONE of harness racing’s most amazing milestones is just around the corner.
Champion WA driver Chris Lewis moved to 4994 career wins when he scored aboard trotter Cardigan Boko at Gloucester Park last Friday night.
Lewis will become just the third driver in Australasia to reach 5000 wins. The others being Gavin Lang and Chris Alford.
What makes Lewis’ tally to impressive is the relative lack of races in WA compared to Victoria where Lang and Alford are based.
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DON’T sell WA trotter Cardigan Boko short.
As unimaginable as it sounds that a WA-trained trotter could win a major trotting race in Victoria, it could happen in the Great Southern Star in a few weeks from now.
Cardigan Boko, the Swedish-bred son of the former mega champ Varenne, is absolutely flying.
“I don’t what happened or why he did it, but he galloped in that race on Inter Dominion final night when he was going to win easily,” trainer Clive Dalton said.
“We wanted to prove a bit of a point and remind the Victorians how good he was, so Chris Lewis (driver) let him go a bit the other night.”
Cardigan Boko worked to the front from gate six and just kept going further in front.
He won by … wait for it … 58.3m.
And he ran serious time as well, a 1min57.4sec mile rate for 2130m.
“I know people will find it hard to get their heads around the fact a WA trotter could be this good, but I’m telling you he is. He can run amazing times this horse. I can’t wait to get him to Melbourne.”
Dalton is also considering taking his injury-plagued but gifted pacer John Of Arc to Melbourne as well for the Victoria and Hunter Cups, depending on how he performs in the Fremantle and WA Cups.
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NSW driving ranks are set to be boosted with gifted young former Kiwi Stuart McDonald set to switch states.
McDonald has enjoyed a fantastic WA stint, largely with prominent trainer Ross Olivieri, but will soon head to NSW to team-up with trainer Kevin Pizzuto.
The plan was hatched while Pizzuto was at the Perth Inter Dominion with his talented veteran Freyberg, who has since joined Gary Hall Sr’s stable.
It’s perfect timing with Pizzuto boasting his strongest stable ever and the huge Miracle Mile Carnival just around the corner.
“I’m looking forward to it. I’m hoping it goes well and I’ll be there a while,” McDonald said.
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FORMER All Stars’ juvenile King Solomon is Derby-bound for new trainer Brent Lilley.
The son of Bettors Delight, who landed a win and five placings from his 10 NZ starts, has won twice and finished a luckless third at his only other run since joining Lilley’s stable.
It was his Melton last Friday night which turned heads.
King Solomon had to sit parked for driver Gavin Lang, with his dangers in front and sitting one-one, but lifted after looking in trouble to win strongly in a very slick 1min54.5sec mile rate for 1720m.
Another former All Stars juvenile, Sparkling Tachyon, improved sharply and enjoyed a gun Luke McCarthy drive to win the Gold Chalice at the same meeting.
She looked just fair running second at her NSW debut at Penrith on December 15, but enjoyed sitting behind the leader and using the sprint lane to win at Melton.
Another Melton winner with a strong Kiwi flavour was trotting mare K D Muscles, who has been a revelation for the Andy and Kate Gath barn.
The six-year-old Muscle Mass mare boasts 11 wins from just 19 starts with another four placings since moving to Victoria.
Last Friday she led, took a trail on the talented but headstrong My Tribeca, and used the sprint lane to win easily in a 1min58.2sec mile rate for 2240m.
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IT looks like former classy Kiwi filly Luisanabelle Midfrew is going to have some serious fun in Sydney.
Now in the care of John McCarthy, the four-year-old mare sparkled winning a Menangle trial and beating a classy rival last Tuesday.
The daughter of American Ideal won the mile trial by four metres in a very slick 1min51.7sec and closed with splits of 54.7 and 27sec.
Luisanabelle Midrew beat Shane and Lauren Tritton’s star juvenile of last season Blue Moon Rising, who has won 12 of his 13 starts and the past 10 on end.
McCarthy is loaded with riches in the mares’ ranks with Cyclone Kate, arguably Australia’s best mare alongside the best version of Arms Of An Angel, also coming back in fine style.
Cyclone Kate won well at Menangle recently and was kept up to the mark with a sharp 1min53.2sec mile trial win at Menangle last Tuesday.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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