Sulky Shorts

The four-year-old horse by Always Be Miki had nearly eight metres to spare at the finishing post over the runner-up, Dhaulagiri, with a big space to the third placegetter, Hezrockingroyality, in a commendable 1.58.4 mile rate time, which included a 27.8 last quarter.

Bred by Undera’s Ray Sellwood and raced by him and former Undera players Bob Boyer, John Hommes, Joey Minutoli and Kevin Powells, Miki To Success is taking his owners on a dizzy ride as he establishes himself as one of best pacers in the land, with possibly his best years of racing still to come.

He currently boasts a race record of 31 starts for 14 wins and eight minor placings with Saturday night’s pay cheque of $38,048 taking his prize-money earnings to $330,000.

Sellwood said Miki To Success would tackle the Vicbred series in November, rather than take on lucrative races in New Zealand.

‘’At this stage we are looking to going to New Zealand next year with him, all going well,’’ Sellwood said.

Miki To Success is one of seven foals from the Elsu broodmare Joe Louleonie to have made the races and won.

Frugal Fare picks up the tab

Shepparton trainer Steve O’Donoghue also had a runner, Western Sonador, in the Ladbrokes South Australian Pacers Cup, but he performed below par.

Travelling stablemate Frugal Fare, however, picked up expenses for the trip with a strong win.

Driven by Jack Laugher, Frugal Fare settled one out and three back in the run before working to outside the leader 1200m from the judge and controlling the race from then on.

It was the ninth time the seven-year-old grey by Changeover has saluted in only 22 career starts and the win pumped his career prize-money earnings to over $47,000.

It was his first win since saluting at a Shepparton meeting on August 26.

Day Two makes it seven

Another good night for Goulburn Valley trainers and drivers at last Saturday night‘s Melton meeting.

Shepparton trainer Wayne Potter produced Day Two for his seventh career win with his daughter Tasmyn in the sulky while Laura Wilson returned the talented pacer Calexico to the winners’ list with hubby Damian Wilson doing the driving honours in an all-the-way win.

Day Two, a four-year-old son of Always Be Miki, ticked off his seventh career win and his second success in his past three starts in what was a GV quinella, with the Bec Bartley-trained New Yorker finishing runner-up at big odds.

Two nights earlier Bartley had partnered the John Nissen-trained trotter Locksley Cavalier to his third career win when he saluted at the Kilmore meeting.

Wilson followed up her Melton win at Tuesday night’s Bendigo meeting, driving the Ted Jepsen-prepared Soho Playgirl to her sixth career win and her second win in her past three starts.

Mark Pitt was also to the fore at the Melton meeting, driving the Emma Stewart-trained Heza Punk Rocker and Uniquely to wins, while Ryan Sanderson partnered another of the Stewart runners, Pre Eminant, to victory.

Sutton steals victory

Commentator Lachie McIntosh summed it up perfectly when he declared ‘’Leigh Sutton has pinched this.’’

McIntosh was referring to Sutton’s front-running drive on Violet Stanford in a five-horse field of talented young trotters at Tuesday night’s Bendigo meeting.

Violet Stanford’s stablemate Derek The Jet was the more fancied of the two runners Russell Jack had in the race.

But Sutton got away with cheap sectionals setting the pace and with Derek The Jet having to come from last over the concluding stages, mathematically it was just about an impossible mission.

Derek The Jet ran a sizzling final sectional to get within 2.7m of Violet Stranford at the finishing post as the winner flew home in 27.5.

It was Sutton’s second win on a Russell Jack-trained trotter within the space of three days, having steered a race favourite, Ezra Kai, to victory at the Sunday Maryborough meeting.

It was a good night at Bendigo for GV trainers, with Murchison mentor Shane Sanderson producing the hot favourite Wicked Wizard for an effortless and first win at his eighth start.

Sanderson’s son Ryan had another big night in the sulky, driving Wicked Wizard to an all-the-way win and steering the Emma Stewart-trained two-year-old Seaside Boy, and Most Exciting and three-year-old Beach Dancer, to impressive victories.

Seaside Boy, a colt by Downbytheseaside, made a huge impression with a 1.52.8 mile rate for the 1650m trip while Most Exciting, a colt by Always Be Miki, and Beach Dancer, both having their second start, bettered the 1.55.0 mile rate for the 1650m trip.

Sanderson, who has been a hot roll of late, has now driven 509 career winners.

Another GV reinsman to land a winner at the Bendigo meeting was Nathan Jack, who partnered the favourite Carramar Titmus to his second career win in eight starts.

Star on the rise

Emerging pacer Hitch To His Star maintained his unbeaten record on the Riverina Paceway at Wagga last Friday with another impressive win.

After being caught outside the leader early in the 1740m event, Hitched To His Star enjoyed the one-one sit for the remainder of the race and sprinted over his rivals in the home straight.

A three-year-old gelding by Follow The Stars, trained by Tatura horseman Craig Turnbull, Hitched To His Star completed a hat-trick of wins on the track, having won his two previous starts there on September 26 and again on October 3.

He has now faced the starter nine times for four wins and two seconds.

The trainer’s daughter Abbey drove him to the first leg of his hat-trick and leading NSW driver Brad Hewitt has been in the sulky for his past two wins.

Meetings coming up

All roads lead to Maryborough this weekend for The Redwood Classic Carnival, which has meetings exclusively for trotters on Friday and on Sunday.

Meetings coming up:

Friday: Maryborough (d), Swan Hill (n)

Saturday: Melton (n)

Sunday: Maryborough (n)

Monday: Charlton (d)

Tuesday: Shepparton

Wednesday: Bendigo (n)

Thursday: Kilmore (d)

Friday: Midura (d), Melton (n)

Saturday: Melton (n)