Harness Highlights

By Len Baker

Gordon duo Tim and Darby McGuigan were successful with Girls View, a 4Y0 daughter of New Zealand Cup winner Highview Tommy and Girls Got Rhythm in the Hirsch Hill Estate Pace over 2150 metres at Yarra Valley on Monday August 16. Settling three pegs from the pole after not being pushed out at the start, Girls View patiently driven by Darby went forward in the last lap to join the leader Nifty Jolt and was much too strong over the concluding stages to register an easy 1.2 metre margin over the pacemaker, with Redbank Molly third 4.5 metres back from the tail. The mile rate 2-04.8.

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At Melton last Wednesday, Long Forest co-trainers Maree and John Caldow scored an overdue victory with Father Patrick-Solar Flash  filly Sorella following some promising efforts of late, leading throughout from gate four in the 1720 metre Haras Des Trotteurs 3Y0 & Older Vicbred Maiden Trotters Mobile. Travelling beautifully for John, Sorella although a little green at the business end ran out a metre victor over Kyvalley Archer (three wide last lap from mid-field) and Lucid (one/one – three wide home turn) who was 9.4 metres away in third place after also racing greenly. The mile rate 2-00.7.

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Highly respected Parwan trainer Phil Chircop was victorious with a lovely horse by the name of Maxnjax at Ararat last Thursday, taking out the Premix King Ararat 2Y0 Pace over 2195 metres making amends for a most unlucky third at Yarra Valley two weeks earlier when making his race debut. A colt by Rock N Roll Heaven from Ourgirlbillielee bred by Darley’s Terry Turnbull and late wife Carol, Maxnmax raced by Terry and driven by Melton based Josh Dickie began brilliantly to lead from gate two and toyed with his rivals, scoring by 11.1 metres from the Mount Gambier rank outsider Smokin Strepo (one/one) in a mile rate of 2-05.1. First starter Bascombe after racing exposed from gate three was third a half neck away. The margin should have been a lot bigger as the sulky tyre burst mid-race which could have created havoc in the run.