By Duane Ranger
For an old fella Arna Donnelly is delighted Imajollywally has still got his speed and will to win.
The Donnelly trained and Alicia Harrison driven (j) notched up his 12th win in 95 starts, at Manawatu Raceway on Thursday night. It was his first win in six starts on the track and his neck victory saw him take his stake earnings past $87,000.
“He went well behind Juice Brogden on the first day and prior to that he was a nice second at Cambridge a fortnight earlier, so I thought he might be thereabouts.
“Once he hits form he usually keeps it, so I’m hoping that will spill over into the grass track season. He’s just a lovely animal to be around and as you would have seen from the race, he has still got a sharp turn of foot for an 8-year-old. Sure he got a drag into the race at the right time but he did exactly what we wanted him to at the business end” Donnelly said.
It was the fourth meeting of the season at Manawatu Raceway and Imajollywally was an $11.40 fifth favourite in that eighth event – the $10,000 Accommodation Gateway Mobile for the R60 to R76 pacers.
Imajollywally started from gate seven and sat last before hoping onto the three-wide train at the bell.
The Armbro Operative gelding got up in the shadows of the post to down Lambros and Jack MacKinnon (j). The winning time for the 2500m mobile was 3:09.6 (mile rate 2:02 even) and home in 58.4 and 28.6.
It was Imajollywally’s first win since Donnelly drove him to a two-length victory at Hawera on April 17.
“It was a lovely well-time drive wasn’t it? Alicia is really starting to come of age as a driver. I’m pleased for her. She’s getting a few more outside drives as well. I’m sure this will be her best season yet,” Donnelly said.
“You can’t deny ole ‘Wally’ – he’s done a fantastic job and is one of the more highly assessed horses in my stable. I’m hoping he will go on with it this season as well,” the Cambridge horsewoman added.
Meanwhile, West Melton trainer, Michael House, has this season trained eight winners – seven of them Manawatu and one at Addington.
He didn’t train a winner on the first day (Tuesday) at the Wairarapa Harness Racing Club’s meeting, but nailed two on the eve of his birthday on Thursday.
They came via the $1.60 favourite, Santanna Mach, in race two and then $4.20 second favourite, Kamwood Kid, in the fifth event. New Zealand’s leading reinsman, Blair Orange drove both pacers.
The House and Orange combo have now won seven races in four meetings at Manawatu in 2017-2018.
Meanwhile, the Robert Dunn trained and MacKinnon (j) driven Dream To Reality recorded the quickest mile rate on Thursday.
In notching up his fifth win in 27 starts in the seventh event, Dream To Reality, proved too strong for Black Chevron by a head in the $10,000 Gattche Construction Mobile for the R54 to R60 pacers.
The Bettor’s Delight brown gelding paced the 2500m mobile in 3:06.9 (mile rate 2:00.3) and last 800m and 400m in 59.4 and 29.5.
The 4-year-old was the $3.70 second favourite.
The next meeting to be held at Manawatu Raceway will be on December 12 and 14.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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