A mammoth 11-event card of harness racing was held at Swan Hill on Tuesday evening featuring a strong Sunraysia influence, with lots of runners coming from Mildura after relocation of the meeting from their home track.
The main event for the evening was the $15,000 3SH Pace over 1750m, which was taken out by Stawell trainer/driver Jason Ainsworth’s and his four-year-old mare Story To Tell.
Starting from gate two, Story To Tell was quick away and immediately took the lead, where she controlled the race in a mile rate of 1:55.4, with Goodtime Maddie finishing second and Overpowering two and a half metres away in third.
The other big race of the night was the Menin Gate Pace over 2240m, with Charlton based trainer Shane Sanderson’s in-form six-year-old gelding Sahara Tiger bringing up his second successive win at the track.
But it wasn’t before giving his supporters a heart flutter, after galloping in the score-up and causing a false start.
Driven once again by son Ryan, Sahara Tiger at the second attempt was taken back from gate five to settle five back the markers in a strung-out field, with Ozzie Battler showing his usual speed to lead from gate four.
Gaining a three-wide trail into the race at the bell on the back of both Yorkshire and Bernie Winkle, Sahara Tiger swept to the front over the concluding stages to record a strong four-metre win in a mile rate of 1:59.0, with Ozzie Battler and Bernie Winkle finishing second and third.
It wasn’t Ryan Sanderson’s only winner for the night, with the popular driver also saluting in the fifth race on the card with the Alex Ashwood-trained My Magic Merlin in a mile rate of 1:58.9.
Starting from the outside the second row, My Magic Merlin settled three back in the running line as Shaken Sands from gate four took the lead.
Following Roberts Delight forward out three wide in the last lap, My Magic Merlin went on a searching run to take over the lead on the home turn.
With runs coming from all directions in the straight, My Magic Merlin held on to score by a head, from Lightning Jash, who burst along the sprint lane from three back along the markers for second – with Mykorona finishing a head away in third.
While My Magic Merlin would be Sanderson’s first of two winners for the evening, the seven-year-old gelding’s victory was trainer Ashwood’s second – after taking out the third race of the night with Delight To Watch.
Trailing the leader Chynchilla (gate four), Ashwood eased Delight To Watch off her back shortly after the start, with the two-year-old gelding getting the job done and recording a one metre victory over Cheeky Eagle (second) and You Beauty (third) in a mile rate of 2:01.8.
The first race on the card was named after the inaugural winner of the Swan Hill Pacing Cup Saint Flash, with the victor being five-year-old mare Ah Mach.
Trained in Mildura by Lachlan Prothero and driven by stable reinsman Neil McCallum, Ah Mach settled three back in the moving line, before running home strongest off a three wide trail on the final bend on the back of the hot favourite and second place getter Clarenden Legacy, with Mista Pumblechook third.
The other winners were the Julie Douglas trained, Jack Laugher driven Modern Jive (race two) and the Paul Parsons trained, Jackie Barker driven Kendys Butterfly (race four).
The seventh race went the way of Pas Guarantee, while the Michael Bellman trained and driven Sweetsazzymylazzy, Reece Moore trained Our Tempo and Mick Carbone trained, James Herbertson driven Smiling Shandy took home the last three races for the night.
