Photos: Stuart McCormick
Im Bobby with James Herbertson doing the steering has his hat-trick of wins well in his keeping at Melton.
In- form pacer Im Bobby completed a hat-trick of wins for Congupna trainer Eddie Tappe when he saluted at last Saturday night’s Melton meeting.
Driven to the front early by ace reinsman James Herbertson, the five-year-old son of Majestic Son comfortably held his rivals at bay for the 2240m trip to add to wins at Shepparton and Melton at his previous two starts.
He has now won eight of his 68 starts with 18 minor placings, including 10 seconds, which have boosted his prizemoney to more than $73,000.
Herbertson has had only the two drives on the pacer – his latest two – so has a perfect driving record on Im Bobby.
Concession reinsman Ben Xiraha drove Im Bobby to his first win in the hat-trick.
Im Bobby is a full and younger brother to another of the Tappe team, Abbie, who has won eight races and been placed 13 times in 61 starts.
Wendy has wings on
Shepparton trainer Russell Jack also landed a winner, Wendys Wish, at last Saturday night’s Melton meeting.
Driven by Kerryn Manning, the five-year-old daughter of Somebeachsomewhere’s gate speed set up the win over the 1720m trip.
From barrier three Manning secured the front running role over the short trip with Wendy Wish and she ran her rivals ragged.
With an extra slick PB 1:54.7 mile rate, which included a blistering 25.2 last half, the win posted Wendys Wish’s seventh triumph from 30 starts with seven minor placings.
Breen gets loud
Avenel’s Juanita Breen was another Goulburn Valley trainer to enjoy a win at the Melton meeting with her talented pacer Roarforroscoe.
The five-year-old son of Betterthancheddar lost the early battle for the lead and camped on the back of the pacemaker Kowalski Analysis before taking an inside run to victory when that pacer drifted up the track in the home straight.
Roarforroscoe’s 1:55.0 mile rate over the 1720m trip was the quickest of the pacer’s 10 wins and with 12 placings as well in his 42 tarts the talented pacer has banked more than $133,000 in prizemoney.
Stewart simply superb
As former long serving Kyabram Trots Club secretary Ian Purdey says ‘‘if it was the gallops and Gaye Waterhouse did it it would be front page news.’’
Purdey was referring to the feat of leading trots trainer Emma Stewart who trained the card — eight winners from eight races — at last week’s Kilmore Melton meeting.
It’s an extraordinary feat, particularly considering all wins came in heats of the Victorian Super Series three-year-old colts and geldings and fillies in which you would expect that nearly all of the best pacers in their age groups were competing.
Seven drivers — Greg Sugars, James Herbertson, Mark Pitt, Jackie Barker, Kerryn Manning, Kate Gath and NSW reinsman Cameron Hart — drove the Stewart-prepared pacers to their wins with Pitt landing a double.
Stewart’s haul also included five quinellas and two trifectas.
As one trainer told me ‘‘I would jump at the chance to train Emma’s worst horse, but it would be pretty hard to find out which one it is because there is so many good ones and from what I see no slow ones.’’
Nice predicament to have.
Hez better known now
Talented pacer Hez Harrywho completed a hat-trick of wins on the Shepparton track for Bunbartha trainer John Newberry when he saluted at Tuesday night’s meeting.
The win also preserved top reinsman James Herbertson’s unbeaten record driving the Live Or Die fiveyear-old gelding.
Herbertson has now driven the pacer five times for five of his six wins, so they obviously hit it off well together.
Hez Harrywho had won his previous two starts at Shepparton meetings on July 30 and August 20 and competed the three-in-a-row feat on Tuesday night with a front running performance.
No sooner had Kialla Kid wrested the lead from Hez Harrywho just after barrier rise Hez Harrywho quickly regained the front running position and comfortably held all challenges at bay in the run to the judge over the 1690m trip in smart 1:56.5 mile rate time.
Five of Hez Harrywho’s six wins from his 25 starts which have also produced seven minor placings have been on the Shepparton track.
Hez Harrywho is the first foal out of the Pacific Fella mare Tatiana Rosedale whose only other foal is an unraced two-year-old by Rock N Roll Heaven.
Devil shows cheek
Drive of the night at Shepparton was produced by trainer-driver Jeremy Quinlan who landed some good bets when he got the major money with Our Cheeky Devil.
Quinlan who also trains a tBunbartha was locked away thee back on the pegs on Our Cheeky Devil, but managed to squeeze the seven-year-old son off the pegs on the home turn before switching the pacer three and four wide in the home straight and the reel in his rivals.
As much as 10/1 was offered in early markets, but he firmed into a $3.70 favourite.
Our Cheeky Fella was facing the starter for the 125th time which have now produced 10 wins and 32 minor placings, including 20 thirds. and more than $83,000 in prizemoney.
Roam finds way home
Run of the night at the Shepparton meeting was arguably turned in by the Wayne Hayes-prepared and driven pacer Roam.
Hayes bit the bullet on the sevenyear-old Courage Under Fire mare, by making his move from near the rear of the field from the bell with a lap (1000m) to go.
Despite having to race three wide over the final circuit Roam proved equal to the challenge and in fact arrogantly pulled away from his rivals in the home straight to space them, beating the runner-up, the Echucatrained outsider Rockstar Leo by more than 13m to hoist his fifth win.
Veteran is best of five
It was just a five-horse race, but it produced a pulsating finish with just a neck separating the first three placegetters.
Shepparton trainer-driver Bec Bartley came out the winner with her warhorse veteran pacer Mongiana who got the verdict over he John Newberry-trained and James Herbertson driven Diamond Eclipse, depriving that combination of a double at the meeting after they combined to win earlier in the meeting with Hez Harrwho.
A 10-year-old by Life Sign, Mongiana has shown a liking to the Shepparton track with eight of his 15 wins — there has also been 29 minor placings — coming on the track.
Captain’s heartache
Star Shepparton-trained pacer Captain Hammerhead was diagnosed with an irregular heart murmer after the pacer’s fading finish at the Menangle meeting last Saturday night.
Driven by Nathan Jack Captain Hammerhead enjoyed the run of the race in the one-one sit, but faded up the home straight and finished near the rear of the field.
Something had to ge wrong — and it was.
A veterinary inspection after the race revealed Captain Hammerhead had suffered a bout of atrial fibrillation which had contributed to the pacer’s struggling finish.
Trainer David Moran said Jack said Captain Hammerhead didn’t feel himself in the run and sensed something was amiss.
But Moran said the pacer, who was trying to win a place in tomorrow night’s richest standardbred race in the world — the $2.1 million The TAB Eureka at Menangle — had recovered well from the setback.
‘‘His heart was back in rhythm later that night,’’ Moran said.
Stewards stood down Captain Hammerhead for 14 days and he has to perform a satisfactory trial before he can race again.
Coming up
Today: Mildura (d), Geelong (n)
Tomorrow: Melton (n)
Sunday: Cranbourne (d)
Monday: Yarra Valley (d)
Tuesday: Shepparton (n)
Wednesday: Maryborough (d), Bendigo (n)
Thursday: Ballarat (n)
