Gunbower Harness Racing Club held its Travla Gunbower Pacing Cup on Sunday, December 8 with more than a few surprises throughout the action-packed meet, while also honouring a late stalwart of the club.
The meeting began with the A.G Warehouse Cohuna Maiden Pace which jumped at 12.23pm with $6,000 prizemoney up for grabs.
Speedy Healey came from the middle to take out the pace, having the third-lowest starting odds at $4.40.
Shockingly, the $2.70 favourite, Ollie’s Medal ran dead last with Courageous Caesar running second last with starting odds of $3.
Half an hour later, the Tom and Brenda McGillvrey Maiden Trot jumped with the Ross Graham-trained gelding Ox Knox claiming first place as the starting favourite.
Madge Edge and Midnite Muscle followed closely in behind, with the former’s $15 starting price point of particular interest having leapfrogged other top-billed contenders.
Race three, the Mawsons/APG Trot was next on the card with Donna Castles’ six-year-old gelding Van Doren claiming the chocolates with the third-lowest starting odds.
Castles claimed back-to-back victories this time through Lindy Grace in the K.L Cooke and Sons/Lindsay Pollock Memorial Trot, the eight-year-old mare was a surprise winner having $14 starting odds.
Race five on the card, the Northern Herd Development Pace preceded the marquee races of the day, with $4.40 favourite, Hand Writer claiming first in front of Eagle Major and Thelongroadnowhere.
Things began to heat up on the track as race six, the $12,000 Cohuna Car Sales/Bill Poxon Memorial Gunbower Trotters Cup jumped with Brent Lilley’s bolter Maestro claiming victory in style at $16.
One of two marquee races of the day, the M.V.P Feeds Cohuna/R and E Brereton Memorial Pace which paid tribute to the late Gunbower Harness Racing Club president and life member Roger Brereton and wife Elaine.
Ken Taylor’s six-year-old gelding Rabada came out and won the meaningful pace, with Cee Lou and favourite Marlo Mareau following.
The name race of the day, the $12,000 Travla Gunbower Pacing Cup, jumped as race eight at 4.46pm with Stephen O’Donoghue’s Western Sonador crossing the line first in front of favourite Arggghhh and Diamond Eclipse.
Proceedings came to a close with the McLoughlan Construction Pace, which was won by Elated NZ.