Trainer Michael Gadsden combined with Horsham reinsman Ryan Backhouse for an emotional home-track victory with the Gadsden family’s three-year-old gelding To The Nines in the Welcome Probus Members Pace.
Gadsden’s father Jeff sustained spinal injuries in a fall while jogging a horse at his Merbein property in mid-August and died in hospital 10 days later.
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Charlton duo, trainer Leon Fanning and driver Luke Dunne, were successful with the very honest fiver-year-old mare Fair Chance in the Ames Australasia Pace Final for horses which had qualified in heats at Maryborough and Stawell.
Despite being forced to race in the death seat throughout, Fair Chance proved too tough at the finish, scoring by 2.2m in a mile rate of 1:59.2.
Douglas returns
A highlight at Bendigo on Wednesday last week was the return to the winners’ circle by one of Victoria’s most gifted reinsmen, Daryl Douglas.
Douglas suffered a severe foot injury in 2024 and only made a return to race driving recently.
Bendigo saw him post his first winner since December 2023 when successful at Stawell with trotter Abitofadreamer for trainer Kim Procter.
Showing he has lost none of his talent with the reins, Douglas saluted with three-year-old filly Emily Jazz for his sister-in-law, trainer Julie Douglas.
Winners rolling in
Horsham trainer Aaron Dunn took the family for a well deserved break in the school holidays while the team at home kept the winners rolling in.
Three-year-old trotting gelding Artigas posted his second win from six starts with a bold front running display at Melton.
The son of Father Patrick (USA) never missed a beat for driver Michael Bellman and scored by six metres in a rate of 2:01.1 for the 2240m journey.
Later in the night Dunn’s three-year-old Poster Boy gelding made it five in a row with driver Michael Bellman taking advantage of the sprint lane to score by a length in 1:56.4.
Forward to the Charlton meet where two-year-old Art Major (USA) colt Out To Stay, with Jackie Barker in the sulky proved too good for his older rivals in the Heenan’s Newsagency Maiden Pace over 2100m.
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