By Adam Hamilton
THE rise and rise of young trotting star Majestuoso continued with another feature Melton win on Saturday night.
Andy and Kate Gath’s latest stable star made light work of a 20m backmark to thrash his rivals in the Group 3 Coulter Crown, closing in a slick 27.6sec final quarter.
Majestuoso has won 16 of his 32 starts, including six of 12 this season and heads early betting for the Group 1 Great Southern Star early next year.
“He’s a horse we’ve always had a huge opinion of and he’s learning all the time. He’s just got so much high speed,” driver Kate Gath said.
Another highlight of the Melton meeting was Sirletic’s win in The Gammalite, carrying the colours of the late Gavin Lang.
“It was an absolute privilege not only wear the colours, but win in them as well,” driver Josh Aiken said.
Former classy Kiwi pacer Im Anothermasterpiece continued his good form in Australia for Jess Tubbs and Greg Sugars with another win.
The former All Stars’ pacer has won three of six runs since moving to Victoria.
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IT is fantastic to see Mighty Conqueror getting back to his best form.
The sparingly-raced former Kiwi is already a WA Pacing Cup winner, but has given Team Bond plenty of headaches along the way.
They didn’t quite have him primed in time for the recent Fremantle and WA Pacing Cups, but he still caught the eye with a luckless third in the WA Cup last Friday week.
He built on that by making the most of a good draw and driver Dylan Egerton-Green finding the front from gate two and always looking in control to win the $50,000 Group 2 Lord Mayor’s Cup (2130m) at Gloucester Park last Friday night.
Mighty Conqueror dashed home in 55.9 and 28sec flat to beat talented stablemate Vampiro by 2.1m in a 1min55.1sec mile rate.
Team Bond have talked about a possible interstate raid and will have to decide soon on races like the Hunter Cup and Miracle Mile.
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NO wonder former Kiwi gelding Magnificent Storm is early favourite for next month’s Group 1 Golden Nugget in Perth.
There is something seriously exciting about son of American Ideal, who is unbeaten in nine runs in WA for trainer Ray Green.
Magnificent Storm led and driver Aldo Cortopassi saved him for a blazing last 800m, which he ran in a staggering 54.8sec, including a 26.4sec closing quarter.
He put almost 20m on his rivals in the space of the home straight and is the most exciting pacer in WA right now.
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EMERGING trotter Arnold could accompany King Of Swing to Melbourne’s Summer of Glory early next year.
Co-trainer Luke McCarthy said connections would have to consider “raising the bar” after Arnold’s stunning all-the-way win in the Group 2 TAB Trotters’ Sprint at Albion Park on Saturday night.
While King Of Swing will target the Hunter Cup, Arnold’s gate speed and rise to prominence could see him chase Australia’s biggest trotting race, the Great Southern Star.
In a welcome change, the Great Southern Star returns to it’s original format as a heat and final series on the same night. It’s slated for the Friday night ahead of the Hunter Cup on the Saturday.
It was a triumphant return to Albion Park for Arnold, who moved from NZ to Queensland, but didn’t really fire.
He’s now unbeaten in four runs since being transferred to Craig Cross and McCarthy in NSW.
Arnold blasted to the front, copped some midrace pressure and still win easily in a 1min55.8sec mile rate for 1660m on Saturday night. It was just 0.7sec outside the track record in wet conditions.
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YOUNG Kiwi horseman Jack Trainor had one of his most satisfying wins since breaking out to train in his own right at Menangle on Saturday night.
Trainor trained and drove the rejuvenated Makoa to an upset win over Miracle Mile placegetter Alta Orlando in the free-for-all.
Makoa led, handed over to Alta Orlando and ran him down late in a 1min54.3sec mile rate for 2300m.
It completed a driving double for Trainor, who won earlier aboard Mo Casino for trainer Rickie Alchin.
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SUPERSTAR juvenile filly Ladies In Red made it a perfect eight winning her Vicbred qualifier at Shepparton yesterday (Sunday).
It was little more than trackwork for the Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin-trained star who dashed home in 26.4sec to beat stablemates Platinum Sparkle and Beach Music.
The Vicbred semis are at Melton on December 22 ahead of the new stellar New Year’s Eve “Grand Finals” meeting at the same track.
