Veteran pacer produces another special sprint

VETERAN sit and sprint specialist Triple Eight staked a claim for warming his ageing bones in the Queensland sunshine when he outsprinted his rivals in the Lazarus Free For All at Melton on Saturday night.

Greg Sugars made full use of a rare front row draw and managed to slot the nine-year-old into the one out one back trail chasing the leader and $1.95 favorite Curly James.

Curly James and Hellavu appeared set to fight out the finish half way down the home straight when Triple Eight ($8) unleashed his trademark powerful finale and scored, running away by two metres from Hellavu in a mile rate of 1:53.

Sugars said he decided to roll the dice and ask Triple Eight for an early effort to secure a forward position.

“It’s been a very long time since he’s had a semi decent front row draw, so we had to chance our arm at the start and make the most of that,” Sugars said.

“He hadn’t done that for a long time, so there was a little question mark as I could see we were going to get a good run in transit doing that, but whether he could still finish off just as good after doing that little bit of work early, but thankfully he did,” he said.

Sugars admitted the son of American Ideal appeared to be headed for the retirement paddock late last year.

“He’s a nine-year-old and 130 odd starts now and I have to say he’s going as good as we’ve had him over the past two or three months, which is surprising as about six months ago we thought he was really struggling and getting close to retirement,” he said.

“He’s really resurrected himself.”

Two years ago Triple Eight took out the Group 3 Mr Feelgood Open Pace before finishing fifth behind Majestic Cruiser in the Group 1 Blacks A Fake during the Queensland Constellations.

The win was Triple Eight’s 25th race track success and took his stake earnings to more than $815,000.

Jason Lee is hoping Aldebaran Vera’s soft win in the Carlotta’s Pride Trotters Free For All will extend her career on the race track.

Lee wasted little time in wresting the lead off Shesawish with a lap to travel and proceeded to reel off a 28 second back straight quarter before finishing off with a 28.8 last 400 metres.

Aldebaran Vera ($4) coasted to the line holding a four-metre advantage over Rockinwithattitude with Revelstoke three metres away third.

“We missed out on the bit of a speed burn early which was good and then we just popped around after they had done a bit of work and had a look and Greg (Sugars) came looking, but fair enough we were racing,” Lee said

“We got out on our own and she got a bit lost, got a bit lonely, but she was good and got the job done,” he said.

Lee believes Aldebaran Vera is a better racehorse with a sit.

“She’s always been better from behind, even as a young horse she should have had a couple of Group 1s beside her name but she didn’t like being in front or left alone in front. She’s certainly got a motor,” he said.

The impeccably bred daughter of Kyvalley Aldebaran is owned by the leading Swedish nursery Boko Stables and is leased by the Levarg Racing Group.

“Hopefully we can talk the connections into not wanting to breed from her at the end of the season but we’ll just race her through till then,” he said.

David Miles would have been thrilled with the return to the race track of his multiple Group 1 winning mare Rockinwithattitude who ran on strongly from back in the field at her first run back from a spell.

Rockinwithattitude will now head north for another tilt at the $150,000 The Great Square at Albion Park.

The daughter of Aldebaran Eagle finished fourth in the race last year before snaring both the Queensland Trotters Derby and Oaks.

Emerging trotter Hesallmuscle returned from a short spell in impressive fashion taking out the Aldebaran Trot.

Sent out a $1.50 favorite, Hesallmuscle was given time to balance up by Mark Pitt before working around the field to assume control with 1600 metres to travel.

The five-year-old always had the race in his keeping, reeling off the last 400 metres in a slick 27.7 seconds and cruised to the line to score by 10 metres from Hephaestus Phoenix in a mile rate of 1:57.3.

Pitt said he allowed Hesallmuscle time to find his feet from a wide front row draw.

“There was a bit of speed under him so I thought I’d let him work off the gate and bully his way to the front and that’s sort of how it worked out,” Pitt said.

“He got a good trip after that and he travelled really well throughout the race and it was a pretty nice field to meet first up,” he said.

Pitt said he was confident of victory during the pre-race preliminary.

“Obviously he’s had his few little issues along the way but he feels really strong now and he warmed up well tonight as he can be a bit scratchy,” he said.

“It’s a good sign that he’s going to have a good campaign.”

The Julie Douglas trained pacer Jaccka Connor defied the odds to cause an upset win in the Beraldo Coffee Pace.

Sent out a $21 chance, Jaccka Connor settled towards the rear of the field from its second row draw and driver Ellen Tormey chanced her arm by making a lone three wide assault on the leaders with 800 metres to travel.

Despite working out three wide without cover, Jaccka Connor ranged up to the leaders around the home turn and kept coming in the straight to get the verdict by two metres from Silver Mustique and Exotic Bushranger.

Tormey conceded the win wasn’t entirely expected as she made her way onto the track.

“He wasn’t entitled to win the way the race was run as it’s not really his go being off the fence and making a run that far from home, but to his credit he ran past them and dug in deep late,” Tormey said.

Tormey said the win at headquarters was overdue.

“He’s showed a glimpse of ability and has always promised to win a metro race but he doesn’t get a lot of luck, but tonight he made his own,” she said.

Tormey said the winner has added another string to his bow.

“We’ve always driven him on the fence and, with his gate speed, have always taken a sit, but it’s good to know that he can do what he did tonight,” she said.