Top Victorian reinsman Allan McDonough celebrated multiple feature wins at Globe Derby Park on Saturday while talented young Victorian trainer Sam Barker landed his biggest career win on South Australia’s major night of harness racing.
Ultimate Vinnie, trained by Barker, led throughout to win the Group 3 $60,000 Ladbrokes South Australian Pacing Cup (2645m) and give McDonough consecutive victories in the feature.
McDonough, 47, drove Wheres The Gold to a photo-finish win in the cup last year, with Ultimate Vinnie an unlucky fourth, but this year had a more comfortable success.
Ultimate Vinnie ($4) sprinted strongly over the final 600 metres to hold off the challenge of Hector ($4) to win by two metres with Abouttime ($26), seven metres away third in a mile rate of 1:57.5.
Barker, 26, said he had been a little concerned about what Ultimate Vinnie would find over the final 400 metres after being driven out of the gate to lead.
“Previously when driven up early he has been a bit vulnerable late, and over the 2645 metres I was a bit worried, but he was great through the line,” Barker said.
McDonough revealed he had considering handing up the lead pre-race.
“We thought Yambukian ($2.10) fav) would come out hard from gate six and the plan was to make him work a bit and then hand up,” McDonough said.
“But he took a while to come around and only made a short play for the front, so I decided to make him sit parked.
“We were able to get away with comfortable sectionals and he was good when I asked him for an effort.”
Barker said he would now consider going to Tasmania for their carnival or keep Ultimate Vinnie for the Mildura Pacing Cup next year.
“He is on a hard mark with the points he has accrued so is not going to draw that well in the country cups but has done a fabulous job.
“He cost just $700 as a yearling and the Cup win took his stakes up to in excess of $217,000.”
McDonough brought up his feature double when the Emma Stewart-trained Meteor Moth produced a powerful front-running performance to win the Listed 2024 Kevin & Kay Seymour South Australian Pacing Derby (2230m).
Backed from $1.50 into $1.12 favourite, Meteor Moth had to be driven up early from gate two by McDonough to cross and lead, withstood midrace pressure to dash away and win by 10-1/2 metres from the South Australian Bay Jim Major ($15) with Wild Bull ($41), a metre away third.
McDonough said the winner was a very nice colt, but at this stage, a notch below the best three-year-olds in the stable of trainer Emma Stewart, for whom he works.
“He is an improver and should continue to improve with racing,” McDonough said.
“He answered the challenge of Dee Roe and was powerful to the line winning in a smart mile rate of 1:55.4.”
The reinsman, who landed a treble on Saturday, said he would probably be back at Globe Derby Park on Saturday, November 9 to drive Demi Lou in the South Australian Oaks (1800m) for trainer Sam Barker.
Demi Lou ran fifth in the Derby on Saturday, beaten just two metres behind second-placed Bay Jim Major, and will be well suited against her own sex.
Victorian trainer-driver Michael Bellman landed smart mare Jazspur an easy winner of the Group 32024 Ladbrokes South Australian Trotters Cup (2645m).
It was the second driving win in the Cup for Bellman who was in the sulky when Trappers Puzzle won in 2014, and the third for the family, as mother D’Arne drove Alba Foyle to victory in 2001.
Bellman said he had a bit of luck early which step the path for the win.
“We began well off our 30-metre handicap, but I had to take evasive action to avoid a horse galloping inside me,” Bellman said.
“But I figured a few others around and behind me might get into a bit of strife and so it proved.
“When I was able to settle two back in the running line I knew my mare would be hard to beat if she sprinted like she did in the heat, and she did.”
Jazspur ($4.20) sprinted strongly over the final 400 metres to win by 8-1/2 metres from Wish Upona Dream ($13) with Cyclone S Adams ($26), a head away third.
Wish Upona Dream’s second was gratifying for Bellman as he normally drives the mare for trainer Rebecca Morrissey.
He also revealed Jazspur was lucky to be racing.
“She stood on a piece of steel last year which went up into a hoof and it was feared she may have suffered a career-ending injury,” Bellman said.
“We put her in a paddock and after four months I went to pick up another horse and saw her running around so gave her a try and she has come back in great form.”
From a spectator viewpoint, the race of the night was the Listed 2024 Alabar SA BOTRA Golden Nursery (1800m) where two Mount Gambier two-year-olds went side-by-side for the last 600 metres.
Lambro Mach ($2.20 into $1.85 fav) prevailed by a short half head over Always Dancing ($1.85 to $2.40) with Splash Of Paynt ($14), 9-1/2 metres away third.
His victory enabled him to emulate his half-brother Emain Macha who won the race in 2016 and also Jawsoflincoln, the 2021 winner which was raced in similar interests.
Trainer David Phillips is excited about Lambro Mach’s future.
“He is still learning about racing,” Phillips said.
“Gaita (Pullicino) was careful to balance him up early. He wants to go faster early than his body can take him.
“He has great speed which he showed when he came around to sit outside the leader, and he showed he has got stamina as early – he is a perfect pacer.”
Always Dancing, trained by Alyce Finnis and driven by her husband Jayson, worked across from gate six to eventually find the field.
When Finnis was getting away with a comfortable 30.9 second quarter of the last 1600 metres, Pullicino brought Lambro Mach around to sit outside and pair paired off over the final 600 metres for a wonderful battle.
Phillips revealed than due to an oversight, Lambro Mach was ineligible for the Southern Cross Series later in the year.
He may take the gelding to Victoria to try and pick up his Vicbred bonus.
Phillips also said heats of the IRT Breeders Crown would be run at Melton on Friday, November 8 while the Lordship Stakes (1800m) was at Globe Derby Park the following night.
“We will give him an easy few days and sit down and work out a program, but we won’t be over racing him this preparation.”
One of the most impressive winners on Saturday was the Emma Stewart-trained Adapt.
Having just his sixth start as a seven-year-old, Adapt scored a 24-metre win in the Kevin & Kay Seymour Pace (1800m) rating 1:54.3.
Driver Allan McDonough said the gelding had tremendous ability, but injuries had hampered his career but made a pertinent comment indicating Adapt’s potential.
“I was saying if he had been in the Cup, doing the form, I would have had him the favourite.”
