Lovable Larrikin (John Caldow for Gaita Pullicino) outguns Metro Mike in The Stampede.
LOVABLE Larrikin (Western Terror/Eden Chanal) produced an electric sprint up the stretch on Saturday night to claim victory in The Stampede at Tabcorp Park Melton.
Driver John Caldow steered the Gaita Pullicino-trained eight-year-old to the outside from last at the home corner before the gelding let down with a powerful burst to overhaul race favourite Metro Mike (Gavin Lang) for a 1.5-metre success.
>> VIDEO: Relive Lovable Larrikin's win
The winner stopped the clock at 1:24.2 for the 1200-metre trip, the shortest race on the Tabcorp Park Melton calendar.
Polemarker Spokeswoman (Lance Justice) mustered speed along the pylons early to hold out the challenge from speedy Reeds May (Dick Lee), which got caught in the open from gate four.
Metro Mike ($2.20fav) was allowed to balance up off the arm before coming with a run out wide late with Lovable Larrikin ($5).
But Metro Mike seemed to pace roughly at a key moment near the final corner, losing momentum as Lovable Larrikin was about to hit top gear.
Lovable Larrikin poked his head in front inside the final 50m.
Steam Washed (Chris Shinn, $3.80) finished third and 2.2m behind the winner, while Classy Guy (Greg Sugars, $7) was held up early in the straight and finished fourth beaten 3.9m.
Spokeswoman tired late to run last of the seven, beaten home by Four Grinners and Reeds May.
Saturday night's two-year-old feature race was the Harness Breeders Vic Des McQueen 2YO Classic over 1720m and was taken out by Emma Stewart-trained debutant Rocknroll Magic (Rock N Roll Heaven/All The Magic).
With Kate Gath in the sulky, Rocknroll Magic ($2.60fav) began well to lead from gate two, holding out an initial challenge from Diamond Jasper (Paul Grech, $41) before getting crossed by previously unbeaten Dancingwithsierra (Craig Hoban, $3.50) at the bell.
Rocknroll Magic copped a check when Dancingwithsierra ran to the front at the 950m, Gath having to balance her filly up again to follow the new frontrunner for the final lap.
Down the back Dancingwithsierra was able to kick clear and put a couple of lengths on her rivals before she started shifting away from the markers around the final corner.
This allowed Rocknroll Magic to gain an inside run, but the gap was for a moment shut abruptly by Dancingwithsierra and Hoban, who angled back towards the inside.
In the stretch Dancingwithsierra again shifted out wide, while Rocknroll Magic recovered from another check at the home turn and attacked the line strongly for a neck victory in a rate of 1:59.7.
A stablemate of the winner, Priddy Catchy, finished on well for third, beaten 7.7m.
Hoban was suspended and fined for his drive on the runner-up.
Earlier on the program reinsman Matthew Craven drove a winning double aboard excitement machine The Culture (Major In Art/Henin Hardenne) in the TAB.com.au 3YO Pace Final and in-form nine-year-old Neville Vaughan (Britewell/Jenola Bay) in the Melbourne City Toyota Trot over 2240m.
The Culture flew out of gate seven from the 2240m start to lead and ran along at the head of affairs with splits of 29.7, 28.6, 28.1 and 28.4 after a 48.2 lead time.
The Culture powered clear in the finish to hold off second-favourite Burnaholeinmypocket (Kate Gath, $4) for a 13.6m win in 1:57.1, with Virgil Hilts (Haydon Gray, $11) running third.
Nathan Jack produced a peach of a drive aboard Kari Males-trained Death Defying (Life Sign/Lombo Luvbird) to take out the Aldebaran Park Vicbred Trot over 2240m.
The six-year-old mare, which started at odds of $10, pinged off the arm to lead from barrier five before handing up to Michael Bellman aboard Mister Independent ($7) from gate seven.
This pocketed Bellmac Kody (Haydon Gray, $1.90fav) three-back along the markers.
Turning for home Death Defying gained the sprint lane and found the line strongest for a 2.1-metre triumph in 2:01.1, Mister Independent holding second and Bellmac Kody third beaten 5.6m.
Other winners on the program were $3.80fav Union Belle (Union Guy/Alberts Belle) in the Empire Stallions Vicbred Platinum Metropolitan Pace 1st Heat over 1720m in 1:55.6, It Is Billy (It Is I/Glenlyon Road) first-up from a spell in the 2Construct Pace over 2240m for reinswoman Anne Maree Conroy in a rate of 1:56.4, Quick Draft (Art Major/Quick Comment) for Chris Alford in the second heat of the Vicbred Platinum in 1:55.3, $1.60fav Lets Elope (Real Desire/Alta Vista) for in-form trainer Brent Lilley and reinsman Anthony Butt in the Homestead Stud Pace over 2240m in a rate of 1:59.5, and Composed in the Sheron Park Claiming Pace bringing up a double for trainer David Aiken and driver Chris Alford, who had already combined with Quick Draft.
Composed is by Our Sir Vancelot out of Troys Dream and rated 1:56.8 for the 2240m trip to beat runner-up Lombo Flashlight (Jodi Quinlan, $15) and third placegetter Jukebox Music (Glenn Douglas, $17).
>> KEY NOTES FROM TABCORP PARK MELTON
- Lovable Larrikin pockets The Stampede
- Rocknroll Magic debuts with a win in Des McQueen
- The Culture could be very special
- Training double for David Aiken
- Driving doubles for Matthew Craven and Chris Alford.
- Quaddie: $327.10. Early Quaddie: $533.20 (TAB results)
- Good Form Game Plan (goodform.trot.com.au): Outlay: $480. Return: $696.80
>> All tonight's Tabcorp Park Melton results from harness.org.au
>> PHOTOS: Gallery of all tonight's winners courtesy of Stuart McCormick
>> For more information or to obtain photos for media coverage, email cwinnell@hrv.org.au
