Mark Pitt is wasting no time in getting his name back up in lights.
His recent return to race driving reached new heights on Saturday night at Melton when he reined home a trio of winners.
Wayne Potter-trained pacer Ambiguous got his night away to a good start with a convincing win.
Pitt gave the two-year-old son of Sportswriter the run of the race on the back of the pacesetter and Ambiguous raced clear of his rivals in the concluding stages in impressive 1:56.5 mile rate for the 1720m trip.
Then Pitt produced winning drives on the Emma Stewart-trained Beach Life and Go Dancing to complete his hat-trick.
Pitt was back in the winner’s circle on Tuesday night at Shepparton, saluting on the Craig Turnbull-prepared Hitanya.
Duo reaps rewards
It’s been a good week for the Laura Crossland-Damian Wilson team from Byrneside.
The Crossland-trained and Wilson-driven Cheyella finished powerfully to a win a mares race at Melton on Saturday night, producing a PB 1:55.5 for the 2240m trip.
It was the four-year-old Heston Blue Chip mare’s ninth win — there have also been 11 placings — from 33 starts.
Cheyella’s win came the day after the Crossland-Wilson combination had struck at Yarra Valley with Cool Rocking Daddy.
The duo extended its winning ways into Sunday’s Boort Cup meeting, saluting with Garshaway in the Boort Trotters Cup.
The win would have been satisfying for connections as it had been almost four years and 18 starts since the eight-year-old son of Bad Boy Truscott won his previous race.
That was at Bendigo in June of 2018 and after having one more start and due to injury didn’t race again until May last year.
Punters who follow the stable would have had some nice collects as Garshaway was a 40/1 shot, Cool Rocking Daddy 9/1 and Cheyella a 5/1 chance.
Wilson continued his winning streak into this week as a trainer and a driver.
He produced Sweet Lou debutant, two-year-old Will He Reign, a pacer he trains and drives, for a dashing win and also partnered the Brian Bourke-prepared trotter Starlight Red for a thrilling win at Shepparton on Tuesday night
Abbie dabba doo
There wasn’t a more popular winner at Tuesday night’s Shepparton meeting than trotter Abbie.
The four-year-old daughter of Majestic Son has been a challenge for Congupna hobby trainer Eddie Tappe, but the win has made it all worthwhile.
Tragically Eddie lost his wife, Pauline, recently and they had purchased Abbie’s dam, the Skyvalley mare Aldebaran Peggy, who was in foal to Majestic Son at the time, at a Shepparton Harness Racing Club sale.
Tappe said Abbie always showed she had speed on his training track, but was a nervy type and needed a lot nurturing.
He is hoping he is winning the battle and plans to line-up Abbie again at tonight week’s Shepparton meeting.
Turnbull team hot
Tatura trainer Craig Turnbull has had winners at the past two Shepparton meetings.
He produced pacer Jannali to salute at last week’s meeting and on Tuesday night was in the winner’s circle again with ex-Kiwi Hitanya, who was making his Aussie debut.
Chalking up three successive seconds in her previous three starts suggested the time had come for Jannali’s second win in 24 tries — and she duly delivered.
Mark Pitt took the drive and once he found the lead shortly after the start on the Sunshine Beach five-year-old mare the result was never in doubt.
No doubt the win was a relief not only for the trainer, but also the driver who had reined her in her previous two starts.
While Jannali has saluted only twice in her 24 starts she has been a most consistent performer with seven second placings and five thirds to her resume.
Jannali followed up her Shepparton win with a second placing on Wednesday night at Bendigo where Turnbull had another winner, Made To Rock, who was driven by Jack Laugher.
Bettors Delight three-year-old Hiranya made a stylish Aussie debut for the Turnbulls at Tuesday’s Shepparton meeting.
Driven confidently by Abbey Turnbull Hiranya was afforded no favours and did the heavy lifting outside the pacemaker Repellling, but was too classy for his rivals.
Hiranya had scored two wins and six placings from 11 starts in New Zealand before crossing the Tasman and punters were aware of this supporting him into a $1.65 favourite.
Bunbartha blowouts
Bunbartha trainers John Newberry and Brian Bourke weren’t exactly quaddie punters’ pin-ups on Tuesday night at Shepparton.
Newberry dealt the first uppercut when he reined Feeling Enerjetic to win at 30/1 in the first leg of the main quaddie.
In a blanket finish Feeling Enerjetic got the decision over the Donna Castles-trained and driven Cheeki Philtra, who was attempting back-to-back wins and the Abbey Turnbull-driven and Nick Beale-trained Argh Me Hearty.
It was the Mr Feelgood five-year-old’s fourth win in 34 starts, but he has also racked up 11 seconds and two thirds, so has a consistent strike rate for top three finishes.
The Bourke-trained trotter Starlight Red did what she usually does, lead and let her rivals try to run her down.
Many of her 94 starts have had this scenario and Tuesday night was no exception — only that no-one ran her down this time.
Damian Wilson rated the six-year-old Red Samurai mare to the second and she lasted to hold off all rivals at odds of 22/1, delivering the knockout blow to most punters who hadn’t already been floored by Feeling Enerjetic’s win.
Punters who were lucky enough to include Feeling Enerjetic and Starlight Red in their quaddies with the other two winners Hard Rock Shannon ($7.50) and Curly James ($3.50) received a windfall of $53,000.
Curly James, driven for the first time by concession driver Ryan Sanderson, made it five wins from the seven starts Shepparton trainer Kasey Kent has given the mare and now has a record of six wins from 12 starts with five minor placings.
Four-time Josh
Avenel reinsman Josh Aiken had a huge night at Bendigo on Wednesday with four winners.
David Aiken produced a training double, winning with trotters Hes A Hammer and Love Gun who were driven by Josh.
Aiken also partnered the Graham Moon-trained pacer Fame Lady and Brent Thomson-prepared trotter Ima Destroyer to wins.
The previous night at Shepparton the Aikens had struck with Somebeachsomewhere pacer Hammers Hellpatrol.
Having his third trip to the races Hammers Hellpatrol got clear of three back on the markers in the back straight and forced wide out mowed down his rivals with a powerful finishing burst.
Hammers Hellpatrol had finished fourth and third at his only two previous starts and punters were well aware he had his hoof on the till and he started a $1.70 favourite.
Punters enjoy Bacardi
Somebody filled their pockets when trotter Bacardi Wood saluted at Stawell on Monday.
As much as $8.50 was offered in early markets, but when they lined up the eight-year-old son of Bacardi Lindy was the $2.20 favourite.
The faith behind those who got the generous odds was justified with top concession reinsman James Herbertson giving Bacardi Wood the run of the race on the back of the pacesetter, Courtesy Chancey, and then running that trotter down in the concluding stages.
Trained by Kyabram Harness Racing Club secretary Ken Covington Bacardi Wood has been in sparkling form for some time with his previous seven starts producing a win, two seconds and two thirds.
Bacardi Wood has now won eight races and been placed 18 times and is closing in on $50,000 in prizemoney earnings.
No fear with Terror
A gem of a drive by Bec Bartley produced a fourth win at Shepparton last week for pacer Terror Of Locksley.
Locked away three back on the pegs on the home bend, Bartley was able the get the John Nissen-prepared four-year-old son of Western Terror one-off turning for home and three wide early in the home straight before going on to a comfortable win at the finish, accounting for the outsider Wonga Lake and the John Newberry-trained and driven Diamond Eclipse.
It was Terror Of Locksley’s second win in his past four starts, having won at the January 21 meeting at Cobram.
Zooming Zuberi
Zuberi was another pacer overdue for a win when he stepped out at Shepparton last week who duly saluted.
The nine-year-old, trained by another veteran, Avenel’s Col Duncan, enjoyed a cosy run on the back of the pacesetter Do Not Surrender and secured a sprint lane run in the home stretch to get up and beat the favourite Curly James and Prosecco Boy in a compact finish.
By Art Major, Zuberi is a veteran of 111 starts which have produced 13 wins and 27 placings and is now less than $2000 away from earning $100,000.
A cash Bonus
A decision by reinsman Michael Bellman to push ahead and take over the front-running role on pacer Mauries Bonus paid dividends at last week’s Shepparton meeting.
Bellman was able to dictate terms in front and from then on kept all challengers at bay with a 27.1 last quarter.
The Greg Lewis-trained Little Demon, who showed blistering gate speed and won the early battle for the lead, finished second and Blackbird Miss came in third.
Prepared by Murchison trainer Shaun Kittel and a son of Pet Rock, Mauries Bonus has been racing in good form with his previous starts producing a win, three seconds and a third.
He has now won five races with 12 placings from 32 outings.
Coming up
Today: Geelong (n)
Tomorrow: Melton (n)
Sunday: Birchip (d), Wangaratta (n)
Monday: Horsham (d)
Tuesday: Cranbourne (n)
Wednesday: Maryborough (d)
Thursday: Ballarat (n)