West Side Wimmera Wally
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Last return: $27.60 @ Horsham Trots
Balance: $453.10
Best bet: R8 No.1 Outback Shadow $4 eachway
Value bet: R5 No.9 Go Go Jolt $3 eachway
Exotic bet: Box quinella R7 Nos. 1,4,8,9 spend $6
Harness action returns to Ararat tonight with a big ten event card commencing with the 2&3YO Trot at 6.02pm and winding up at 10.30 pm with the 2YO Pace.
District stables are well represented throughout the night and reinsman Michael Bellman will have a busy night on his home track with five drives.
Full fields, form guides, punting plans and gear changes are available at harness.org.au and all the live action from R.T. White Raceway will be streamed live and free @ Trots Vision.
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Veteran pacer Rock Albert broke a lengthy drought for owners David & Robyn Work when saluting the judge in the TAB Long May We Play at Horsham last Wednesday afternoon.
The 11yo gelding had last greeted the winner's circle at Maryborough in October 2018 and notched up his 4th career victory at start number 114 for Stawell trainer Phillip Giles.
Driver Jackie Barker settled Rock Albert three back in the running line from the start of the 1700 metre sprint and secured a three-wide trail into action at the 400 metre mark.
Barker eased her charge four wide at the top of the straight and the old fella finished strongly to nab the sprint-laning Rock Opal (Michael Bellman) right on the line. Flaming Lucky (Jayson Ainsworth) battled on gamely for a close-up third placing.
Rock Albert began his career nearly eight years ago with trainer Tim McGuigan, then relocated to the Alan McDonough team and won his first race at Yarra Valley.
After a short stint with Ross Sugars, "Rocky" headed north to Wagga under the care of Shane Snudden where he recorded a number of minor placings but no wins.
Early in 2015 "Rocky" returned to Victoria to be trained at Stawell by David Work and quickly found the winning post at his new home track, having just his fourth outing for the new stable.
Win number three (Maryborough) took a fair while in coming and at the beginning of 2019 Work handed the reins over to his mate Phillip Giles. "Rocky" has continued to race honestly since, with ten top four finishes and it was just reward for the Giles and Work families to see their old favourite a winner at Horsham.
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Mount Gambier trainer/driver David Drury snared a double at Horsham with a pair of former NZ'ers.
His 5yo gelding, Plutonium took out the Ultimate Machete @ Alabar Pace over 2200 metres and stablemate Jaccka Ted was successful in the 1700 metre Shelton & Lane Pace.
Plutonium made it six wins and two seconds from eight starts here in Oz with an easy 15 metre victory in the very quick rate of 1:56.2 over the long course.
Jaccka Ted started from the extreme outside of the second line and came home with a barnstorming finish from the tail of the field to score by 1.1 metres in a rate of 1:58.6.
Rosarito Miss (Darby McGuigan) held on for second after leading with John Richard (Grant Campbell) a further 4 metres away in third place.
Jaccka Ted has won four of his seven outings in the Drury colours and the manner in which he rounded off at Horsham suggests, like Plutonium, more wins are in store.
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They're off @ Boort (Central Victorian Championships) Sunday (D) January 3rd; Swan Hill (N) Tuesday 5th; Terang (N) Thursday 7th; Charlton(D) Monday 11th & Hamilton Cup Day (D) Sunday 17th.