IN a history-making night on Friday, the Emma Stewart-trained Like A Wildfire claimed this year’s 3SH Swan Hill Pacing Cup and set a new track record in the process.
It was an impressive performance from the nine-year-old Big Jim-Against The Wind gelding, who sat last for the first lap and half after starting from outside the second row, before rounding the field at the urging of driver Mark Pitt and sitting in the death for the final lap.
Taking over on turning, Like A Wildfire scored by 1.8 metres from the Matthew Howlett-trained Mickey Oh, who flashed home after being held up momentarily on the final bend, with the Ashleigh Herbertson-trained and James Herbertson-driven Tiger Band Wagon running on late after being extricated very wide on the home turn for third.
Like A Wildfire’s 29th win from 87 starts had a $25,000 first prize, taking his career earnings over $445,000.
A slick mile rate of 1:56.1 shaved two tenths of a second off former stablemate Our Millionaire’s 1:56.3 record set in 2022.
It was a perfect drive from Pitt from the tricky gate, with the recent Victoria Derby winner full of praise for trainers Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin.
“He’s always been a nice horse, all the way throughout his career, and for him to still be racing in these country cups at the age he is and be as dominant as he was tonight, is a big credit to Emma, Clayton and the team behind them as well,” Pitt said.
“It probably wasn’t his ideal way to win either.
“It was one of those races where we had to hold strong from the start, as we were a long way back and we had to wait to put him into the race, but when we did, he ran super.
“I just want to thank the sponsors, the guys always do a good job here at Swan Hill and it’s always good to come to these country tracks, it’s a pretty good crowd here too, which is good.”
In the other feature race of the evening, six-year-old Love You-Schleck gelding Parisian Artiste for Tooleen duo trainer-driver duo Alex Ashwood and Tayla French took out the Swan Hill Trotters Cup.
After starting slowly from the 20-metre handicap, Parisian Artiste sat at the tail of the six-horse field, before moving to race exposed through the middle stages, then moving to sit outside and apply pressure to leader Virginia Clowers approaching the home turn.
Racing to the front over the closing stages, Parisian Artiste greeted the judge by 2.3 metres ahead of Kyvalley Heist, who used the sprint lane to finish a half head in advance of Virginia Clowers, who just failed to run out the journey.
It was a deserved victory for Parisian Artiste following a last-start Maryborough second behind Just Believe, a fourth at Melton to Rockingwithattitude, and a great third in the Kilmore Trotters Cup behind Callmethebreeze.
Victory was claimed in a mile rate of 2.03:6, which was three seconds outside Keayang Ignite’s time of 2:02.3 set last year.
It was a successful night for driver Jack Laugher, who drove a double by piloting the Julie Douglas-trained Wattlebank Arnie home in the fifth race of the evening, before also guiding the Noel Walsh-trained Ronzel Micky first past the post in the Peter Walsh MP Member For Murray Plains Pace.
The Swan Hill Pacing Cup was the last meeting for this year, with the club’s next event not until Sunday, January 5.
