The Stawell HRC will pay tribute to their late life members Reginald Cooper, Lorna Anyon, Terry McManus and Stanley Anyon with a six-event card of harness action from 1.28 pm at Laidlaw Park on Thursday afternoon. Glenorchy owner/trainer Greg Reg Cooper has Local Icon engaged in race two - the memorial race named after his late father and Club legend Reg.
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Inform reinsman Jack Laugher has the drive and no doubt the Cooper family are hoping that their 5yo gelding has no bad luck in running. Local Icon (5) meets a field with a host of live chances including trainer Tim Bolitho's well graded gelding The Big End Of Town, smart Terang trained 3yo gelding Class Act with Jason Lee aboard and trainer Leon Conway's winner on debut, Four Ever A Star.
Stawell fields, gear changes, form guide and selections are available at harness.org.au and if unable to get to Laidlaw Park, all the action is streamed live and free on your device at Trots Vision, with usual coverage on Sky Racing and the national racing radio network.
Armstrong trainer Danny O'Brien produced 2yo bay gelding Sir Eros at Maryborough on Monday afternoon and the juvenile proved too smart for his rivals with a victory on debut in the $7000 Vicbred Maiden Trot over 2190 metres. Driver Michael Bellman made use of Sir Eros' speed from gate seven and challenged for the early lead before electing to slot in behind the pacemaker Aussie Muscle for the next lap and a bit.
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Sir Eros held them at bay over the final stages and scored by 1.2 metres from Aldebaran Vera (Jason Lee) with Keayang Chucky (Paddy Lee) third. Most pleasingly for connections (L M O'Brien, T M Fiscalini, A Lombardi, A Cameron & Hellenic's Group) their young trotter displayed faultless manners throughout before finishing with a solid 30.1 last quarter in tough conditions and a rate of 2.04.4.
O'Brien qualified the son of Creatine USA at the trials back in February and after a short spell was back into work and prepared for Monday's test with the benefit of two recent trials at Maryborough under the belt.
Bellman made it a debut double in the following race, when successful with District Attorney for Rockbank owner/trainer Ted Caruana.
At the 600 metre mark, Bellman eased District Attorney three wide and with a sustained forward move around the final bend and had the race "in the bag" by the time they straightened for home. The brown colt is the seventh produced by the Life Sign USA mare Crown Defender, also the dam of Group 1 winning pacer Cruz Bromac - 56 starts, 23 wins, 13 minors, $1,057,995. Bellman now sits in 6th place on the Garrads State Premiership table with 81 wins.
They're off at: Stawell (D) Thursday 29th; Hamilton (D) Thursday August 5th, Charlton (D) Thursday 12th; Terang (N) Tuesday 17th & Horsham (D) Monday 23rd.
West Side Wimmera Wally
Best bet: R4 No.3 Jazspur $4 eachway
Value bet: R5 No.5 Nevada Yankee $3 eachway
Value bet: R6 No.1 JillibyDyson $3 eachway