By TONY LOGAN

Harness racing father-daughter team Peter and Kerryn Manning took out Stawell Harness Racing Club’s feature event for juvenile trotters, The Maori Legend, at Laidlaw Park last week.

They won with talented two-year-old gelding Plymouth Chubb.

With a string of six straight wins to his credit, Plymouth Chubb was rated a certainty by most, but anyone who’d taken the prohibitive $1.10 on offer had a heart-in-mouth moment when the red-hot-favourite galloped in the score up.

Fortunately, Kerryn got him back trotting to be only a couple of lengths from the gate when the small field of five was dispatched. 

When balanced up, Plymouth Chubb worked forward to park outside the leader for the next lap and a bit of the journey.

Given more rein at the 500-metre mark, Plymouth Chubb forged to the lead around the final bend and scored untouched by 2.3 metres from Eds Dream – Anthony Butt, with Mercenary – Jason Lee, a further 4.6-metres away in third place.

While the mile rate of 2.05.7 was nothing startling, there’s no doubt the winner rates with the best on the Maori Legend honour roll – Andy’s Favourite, Donttelmehetrots, Sunset Invasion and Sleepee  – and could even better their performances in classic and group class racing.

Charlton’s training team of Michael Gadsden and Denbeigh Wade were successful at Shepparton when four-year-old entire Notsokool put it all together to take out a $7000 maiden pace over 1690 metres. 

Notsokool settled at the tail of the field from his second-line draw and made a forward move three-wide to join the leader Colby Art at the bell. 

Wade gave her charge more rein with 400 to go and the son of The Wrath Of Pan USA surged to the front at the top of the home straight and increased the margin to 12 metres at the post.

All going well Notsokool will race again at Kilmore on Friday.

Horsham Harness Racing Club president Terry Lewis enjoyed a win with Mynameisjeff at Geelong last week.

Lightly raced because of injury, the five-year-old gelding ‘beat up’ his four rivals in not much more than a training drill.

Mynameisjeff, with Sophia Arvidsson aboard, set a moderate tempo through the first three quarters of the journey then scooted home in 26.9 seconds to score by six metres from The Chancer – Taylor Ford – in a rate of 1:57.6.

The son of Rock N Roll Heaven USA and Nightoffire has built a more than handy record of six wins, seven minors and $32,107 from 14 starts and is likely to take on better company in a $20,000 contest at Ballarat on Saturday.

Armstrong trainer Danny O’Brien made a successful, long haul to Mildura on Friday with Danceforme victorious in the $7000 Gateway three-year-old pace.

Forced to work hard early in the race by driver Michelle Phillips when pressured for the pegs by Animado – Alex Ashwood, Danceforme enjoyed a more comfortable tempo through the middle part of the 2190-metre trip.

Despite racing a little greenly in the final lap, Danceforme went on to score by 2.5 metres in a solid rate of 1:59.1 and should further benefit from the outing being first-up from a spell.

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