MELTON-BASED Rodney Petroff was in the winners stall at Kilmore on Wednesday, following the victory of his honest seven-year-old The Wrath Of Pan/Isntshegorgeous gelding Brannaka in the SEW-Eurodrive Pacers Handicap for C1 or better class over 2150m. Jumping straight to the front from the pole, Brannaka never looked in any danger throughout the race after being rated to perfection and kicked away on straightening to score from a death-seating Sedgman and Obama (three wide last lap) in a rate of 2-07.5.
ROCKBANK’S Dominic Schembri snared the Mallia Builders Trotters Handicap Final for T0 or better class over 2150 metres with speedy seven-year-old Extrovert/Stingray Girl gelding Joeannas Boy. Driven by Darren Pace, Joeannas Boy again led from the 10-metre mark as he had done in the heat on 28 November when beaten by Gazoline, but on this occasion went one better, running his rivals ragged to score easily by 15m in 2-07.7 from Earl Or Nothing (one/two) and The Driller which trailed the winner after leading out. It was an all-Melton area trifecta.
KIWI bred Badlands Hanover/Not So Fine gelding Straight To Jail landed a massive plunge on debut in the first leg of the TAB quaddie – the Schweppes three-year-old pace over 1720m at Tabcorp Park Melton on Thursday. Trained locally by Brent Lilley and driven by Gavin Lang, Straight To Jail was backed in from an opening quote of $7.60 to start at $2.10. Using the sprint lane on turning, Straight To Jail gained the upper hand in the shadows of the post to blowse Gundogdo by a neck on the wire in a mile rate of 2-00.5, with the roughie Erins Dawn a further 8m away in third place. Raced by Brendan James’ BFJ Bloodstock Trust, Straight To Jail appears set to win many more this season.
