Three wide, then four and five wide around the final bend with Barker merely flicking the reins, Im Lady Rhonda stormed home to score by five metres in a rate of 2:01.7 for the 1609-metres.
If Sunday’s super performance is anything to go by, her large group of owners have lots to look forward to.
Bellman milestone
Ararat driver Michael Bellman notched up his 2000th career winner at Mt Gambier on Friday night with the Bec East trained, eight-year-old mare She Will Wantano.
The hard working, much travelled horseman drove his first winner Little Partner at Terang in April 1997 when having his fourth race drive. More than 20,000 drives later, Bellman’s credits include Group Two successes with Sergeant Lou, Sundons Courage and Rishi, a South Australian Trotters Cup victory with Jazspur and 21 wins with his favourite horse Mister Rhys, the 2011 Ararat Pacing Cup champ.
Maxy Can Dance
Horsham based owner-trainer-driver Aaron Dunn produced his three-year-old gelding Maxy Can Dance for a win on debut at Charlton in the $6000 GMC Finance Group Maiden Pace.
The son of A Rocknroll Dance USA and Miss Potential pulled hard throughout the 2100m journey and let go at the 400 to bolt away to score by 20m in a rate of 1:58.2.
Maxy Can Dance is raced by his breeders the Andrews family, who also race stablemate Maxy Wants To Play, winner of 10 races in Dunn’s yellow, blue and whites.
Familiar ground
The Sanderson family of Murchison returned to their old stomping ground on Sunday for a one-two result in the $25,000 Charlton Pacing Cup with stablemates Catalpa Rescue and Dangerous.
Both horses are trained by Shane Sanderson for the ‘Mallee Boys’ Paul and Danny Lowry, John Wilson, Leon Hogan, Robert Hodge and Max Dillon. Catalpa Rescue, with Ryan Sanderson aboard, led for the first lap-and-a-half of the 2570m feature before handing up at the bell to his sister Amy on Dangerous.
Enjoying cover with the continued solid tempo, Catalpa Rescue came off the pegs at the top of the home stretch and proved too strong for Dangerous Jilliby Nitro, Lochie Cook, third in a mile rate of 1:57.0, just 0.5 off the track record.
Manning in upset
Earlier in the afternoon, Wish Upona Dream and Kerryn Manning combined for an upset victory in the $20,000 North West Ag Services Charlton Trotters Cup.
With 300m to go, Mercenary had shot clear of the pack and looked all over a winner, but swung into a pace and despite the best efforts of driver Jackie Barker, could not get back into its correct gait.
Amidst the chaos, Wish Upona Dream flashed up along the sprint lane and snatched the cup for owner trainer Rebecca Morrissey.
The 30m backmarker Parisian Artiste, Ellen Tormey, was third home but promoted to second place, with Little Yankee, Conor Ronan, third after Mercenary was disqualified.
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