THERE were five local trainers to share in the spoils of an eight event programme at the Bunbury harness meeting last Thursday evening.
Under the burden of expectation, the Kim Prentice trained and driven 3-year-old Soho Monza finally broke through for his first win of the 2011/12 season after the former top line juvenile had endured a frustrating run of 8 minor placings in 10 starts for the term.
Having finished third in a $100,000 Group 1 event at Gloucester Park most recently, punters sent the pacer out as a $2.30 favourite before he recorded a mile rate of exactly 2 minutes in Race 1, the Bunbury Kia 3YO Pace over 2100 metres. His sixteen career starts have now netted almost $85,000 with his 2 wins and 11 placings to date.
Dardanup trainer and owner Geoffrey Brandli was next in line for a win when his 4 year old mare Lucky Drew posted a sound performance in Race 2, the RTW Steel Fabrication Fillies & Mares Pace.
The result put punters on a solid footing early in the night with the mare paying $3.80 for the win as the race favourite.
Two races later Eddys Entourage handed prominent trainer Andrew De Campo a win at a short $1.50 quote in the Dillo’s Breaky Show Westbred Pace.
De Campo’s in-form son Aiden was there to take the reins on the three year old black gelding.
Stephen Reed’s astute judgement to place his pacer Thirtyeightspecial ($3.00) in a suitable standing start event in Race 6, provided the next win for a local trainer. Reed also had a hand in an earlier winning result, having taken the drive on Lucky Drew.
Dougie Bromac ($20.10) trained by John Graham then rounded out a great night for the locals when he proved far too good for the opposition in Race 7.
The three other events were won by trainers outside the greater Bunbury region and they also provided the three closest finishes of the night.
Full Package ($7.10) came from last to overpower Justin Prentice’s Carim Courage by 1.5 metres with a fine finishing sprint in Race 3, the Redwave Media Pace.
In Race 5, Old Mcdonald ($4.50) led from go to whoa beating a quality field with 1.6 metres to spare. The field contained noteworthy local pacers Son Of Fergie and Uppy Son who both disappointed by finishing at the back of the pack.
Blissful Pickings ($63.50) sprung a huge surprise in the last event, beating another of the fancied Justin Prentice drives, Wills Boy by a head.
Bunbury Trotting Club will host their next race meeting this Saturday.