By Adam Hamilton
FRANCO Nelson’s Perth campaign is over.
Regular co-trainer John Dunn confirmed the classy pacer was heading back to NZ after leading and dropping-out to finish last in the Group 1 Fremantle Cup last Friday night.
“He pulled-up not himself, so he’s coming back home,” Dunn said.
The run ended a frustrating stint in Perth, which peaked when Franco Nelson was a desperately unlucky fifth in the Inter Dominion final on December 9.
Travel issues prevented Dunn getting him back home for the Auckland Cup, so the pacer stayed with top WA trainers Greg and Skye Bond, but he failed to produce his best in two runs for them.
BEATEN Inter Dominion favourite Hectorjayjay is close to a racetrack return.
David Aiken’s brilliant pacer stepped-out publicly for the first time since his narrow defeat by Smolda at Gloucester Park on December 9 when he won a Shepparton trial last Tuesday.
Aiken took the reins himself and Hectorjayjay won by three metres, hardly raised a sweat and posted a 1min58.9sec mile rate for 2190m.
Aiken reaffirmed plans for Hectorjayjay to resume racing in the Shepparton Cup on January 14 ahead of the Victoria Cup on January 28.
Lennytheshark remains on target for a resumption in the Ballarat Cup on January 28.
INTERESTING news with one of Australia’s strongest barns, Luke and Belinda McCarthy, spreading its wings into a Victorian satellite stable.
Speculation became reality when the Shepparton club tweeted the news last week, saying the McCarthys had already taken over stables at the Shepparton Harness Complex recently vacated by Peter Hornsby.
“This is a significant boost for the club and the region as they are industry leaders in so many ways,” the club wrote.
The McCarthys made their mark in Queensland before taking it to another level from their major base not far from Menangle.
Last Friday night, Luke McCarthy continued his dominance of the popular Maitland Inter City Pace with his fourth victory aboard classy five-year-old Express Stride, a Kiwi-bred by Bettors Delight out of Lauraella.
McCarthy’s first Inter City win was on Lettucerocku five years ago and he then won again aboard All Eyes On Us (2015) and Kept Under Wraps last year.
Luke’s father, John, trained and drove the main danger – former classy Kiwi Luisanabelle Midrew – but she sat parked and tired badly to finish second-last.
STILL on Luke McCarthy and he stole the show at Menangle last Saturday night with a treble, including the feature the Group 3 Simpson Memorial.
McCarthy pinched all the inside runs on the superbly-bred Alpine Stride – by Rocknroll Hanover out of former champion racemare Tailamade Lombo to win on the $38.40 outsider.
It was the race where the bubble burst for Shane and Lauren Tritton’s buzz three –year-old Blue Moon Rising, who sat parked and weakened for ninth in a 1min52.2sec mile. It was just his second defeat in 14 runs
McCarthy’s other wins came on the former Victorian duo Allblack Stride and Mach Doro.
Allblack Stride scorched a 1min49.9sec mile, won by 11m and his rapid improvement puts him in the mix for the big races just around the corner.
JUST around the corner is an appointment with Lazarus.
That’s the story for buzz NSW four-year-old Salty Robyn, who made it seven wins on end with a narrow but impressive victory at Menangle last Tuesday.
In contrast to recent wins where the son of Art Official has peeled-off blazing late splits, this time Salty Robyn had to spend a lot more petrol when out three-wide pushing forward in a slick 26.4sec opening quarter.
Driver Lauren Tritton had to ask the gelding for a serious effort when challenged strongly late by the rejuvenated Colonel Joy, but he did enough to score by a half-neck in a 1min52.8sec mile.
Life will obviously be much harder when Salty Robyn shoots for a spot in the Chariots Of Fire when he meets Lazarus in the $50,000 Group 2 Hondo Grattan at Menangle on January 21.
Before then, the Trittons have opted to give Salty Robyn one more lead-up in the fourth race at Menangle tomorrow (Tuesday).
In other stable news, the Trittons’ recent run of nice juveniles looks like continuing.
Over the past two years he’s enjoyed plenty of success, most notably with Salty Robyn (two years ago) along with Blue Moon Rising and Tingira Beach (last season).
Now he’s got high hopes for Divine State, a Tintin In America colt out of an unraced Kiwi-bred daughter of Art Major, called An Angel Divine.
“This is my next two-year-old for you to follow,” Tritton said after a Menangle trial win last Tuesday.
Divine State posted a slick 1min54.6sec mile, capped by closing splits of 56.5 and 27.4sec to beat Jimmy Rattray’s nicely bred unraced filly Make Mine Heaven (Rock N Roll Heaven-Make Mine Cullen) by 2.8m.
ALMOST a year ago Three Ways ran second to Lazarus in the Victoria Derby.
In 11 starts since, he’s been beaten on twice.
The Andy and Kate Gath-trained son of Mach Three powered to one of his most important wins when he led throughout to beat another exciting four-year-old, Brallos Pass, in the Group 3 Metropolitan Cup final (2240m) at Melton last Friday night.
In an on-pace dominated race, Three Ways ripped home in 54.7 and 26.5sec but Brallos Pass still held-on to finish within 1.2m.
THE MARGIN wasn’t great, but the time was for glamour Kiwi mare A Piccadilly Princess at Melton last Friday night.
Freshened after a luckless WA campaign, the Purdon/Rasmussen daughter of Bettors Delight sat parked and dug deep to hold-off Bettor Downunder to win by a whisker.
The 1min51.4sec mile rate for 1720m was just 0.6sec outside Cold Major’s track record and the mare dashed home in 54.2 and 27.2sec.
Another winning mare from the night to follow is David Aiken’s Rockstar Angel, who led throughout in a 1min56.8sec mile rate for 2240m and dashed home in 54.9 and 26.5sec to win as she liked.
MOST think Emma Stewart’s comeback pacer The Storm Inside is Australia’s best hope against the Kiwi invaders in races like the Victoria and/or NSW Derby.
But the colt will need to improve plenty on his first-up win at Cranbourne last night to live up to that tag.
Driver Greg Sugars took him to the front, dawdled through a 64.5sec middle half and, just when he should’ve booted clear, The Storm Inside had to dig deep to fend-off outsider Zahven Banner to win by just 1.2m.
It was however The Storm Inside’s first race since April 22, last year when he was injured then narrowly cheated death with illness.
QUEENSLAND trainer John Cremin’s Victorian raid keeps getting better.
When former top young Kiwi pacer Hughie Green was scratched from Cambridge last Friday, confirmation came through Cremin would be his new trainer in Victoria then Queensland.
Cremin’s prime reason for being in Victoria is with his rejuvenated trotter Melpark Royal Son, who failed to fire when midfield in the SA Trotters’ Cup las Saturday night.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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