Sunday afternoon will see Ararat's R.T. White Raceway turn all pink for the second year in a row as the Club gets behind harness racing's month long "Pacing For Pink" campaign in support of the McGrath Foundation.
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The club raised more than $14,000 for the cause at their May meeting last year and organisers are hopeful of bettering that total this weekend. Race names have been sponsored by local businesses and there will be raffles and a major silent auction as part of the day's activities.
The always popular pony trots will add to the fun on-track this Sunday. Nine keen kids and their ponies will step out for two heats between races 1/2 and 3/4 during the afternoon.
Brendan Baker will act as MC and TrotsVision will cover all the action at the meeting, live and free on your device from about noon onwards. It's free entry for all patrons with racing to commence at 12.09pm and conclude with the "lucky last at 4.35pm.
Ararat Harness Racing Club volunteer and key driver of the day, Sharon Ralph spoke on radio with Toby McKinnon on Wednesday afternoon. Ralph, who is the wife of club president Phillip said, "Wherever you go or post on social media, people want to be involved, that's great and makes our job easy."
Visit the Ararat Harness Racing Club Facebook page for more information about Sunday's activities, silent auction items and raffles. Full fields, forms guide, gear changes and selections at www.harness.org.au.
Monday's meeting at Hamilton saw Horsham trainer Rod Carberry combine with Lexton driver James Herbertson and 6yo gelding Fourth In Line for a sterling victory in the $7000 West Country Creative Websites Pace.
Driven with plenty of aggression out of the gate by Herbie in attempt to cross to the pegs, Fourth In Line went toe to toe with Ire Of The Dragon until halfway along the back straight on the first occasion.
The early effort could have left Fourth In Line "a sitting duck" at the finish but showed plenty of courage over the concluding stages to score by a neck in a rate of 1:58.0 for the 2160 metre journey.
It was the gelding's third career victory for Horsham owner/breeder Robbie Connelley and family.
Swan Hill raced on Tuesday night and Horsham trainers Aaron Dunn and Justin Lane came home with a winner each in the truck. Dunn saddled up three debutants in a $7000 Pace for 2YO's and landed the quinella and wooden spoon with a 1, 2 & last as they crossed the line.
Dunn partnered his homebred colt Little Louie to an 18 metre victory from homebred filly, You Beauty with Kerryn Manning aboard. Stablemate Neatntidy made errors shortly after the start and again with 600 metres to go and tailed the field home.
Less than an hour later Lane geared up his "pocket rocket" Muckinbar Diva and the Lane family's homebred mare, with Kerryn Manning aboard, flashed up along the sprint line to claim victory in the $8000 APG Pace.
With plenty of gate speed and dash at the finish of her races Tuesday's winning mile-rate of 1:55.1 suggests "The Diva" would relish racing at Melton over the short course.
Muckinbar Diva is the third offspring to race from the Lane's former handy mare Muckinbar Lady (10 wins, 16 placings) and in just nine starts has four wins and two thirds on the board.
Stawell trainer Owen Martin and owner/breeder Les McLeod also celebrated a victory at Swan Hill with their 7yo gelding Aerodyne Guy in a $4500 restricted Pace.
Surprisingly after his solid second placing at the recent Horsham meeting, Aerodyne Guy was neglected in the betting at 25/1 but knocked off the hot favourite Cocorocks right on the line.
It was win number three from 39 outings for "The Guy" and broke a run of outs.