Sport
23 January, 2025
Plenty on the line as locals compete for race honours in Stawell
The Harness racing action returns to Laidlaw Park on January 24.
From the Sulky
Stawell trainer Jason Ainsworth landed a stable double at Swan Hill on Sunday night with 10yo gelding The Regulator in the Water Proof King Pace and 7yo gelding Robbinmemates in the 20 Years Tiel Tiling Trotters Handicap.
Leading driver James Herbertson took the reins with The Regulator with Ainsworth partnering his other runner Flaming Lucky to fifth placing in in the same event.
Herbertson eased his charge out of the early action at the start of the 1750m and The Regulator settled at the rear of the eight horse field.
With 800m to go "Herbie" moved into the three-wide line and followed No Emotion (Luke Dunne) down the back straight making ground on the leaders.
Switched four wide at the 400m mark, The Regulator took the lead at the top of the home stretch and went on to post a 12-metre victory in a rate of 1:51.1 - his first for the 2025 season and fourth for "Team Ainsworth" in the last six months.
Stablemate Robbinmemates saluted from a 40m handicap at Swan Hill's previous fixture a fortnight ago at the juicy quote of 15/1 but Sunday's punters largely ignored that result and sent the squaregaiter out again at the same odds and witnessed repeated the dose a fortnight later 7yo Kiel tiling trotters handicap 2240m.
Robbinmemates joined the Ainsworth camp about six months ago as a nine-time winner for previous trainers Andy Gath and Kerry-Ann Morris and impressed with an unlucky second first-up at Charlton.
His next three outings however, were anything but impressive and it's good to see the trotter return to his best after those December failures.
Ainsworth enjoyed his best ever season in 2024, saddling up 35 winners in the pink and purple silks and no doubt is looking to better that, come the end of '25.
Ainsworth has 6yo mare Alfnalma for Horsham owner Shannon Hoffmann, drawn awkwardly in race two gate two at Stawell, the Judith McLeod Memorial but given even luck in the run, should be thereabouts at the finish.
Veteran of 176 career starts Flaming Lucky has drawn the ace in race 4, the Stawell Gift Hall of Fame Museum Pace and should enjoy a cushy run albeit against tougher opposition than faced recently.
The 27yo horseman will pilot former SA squaregaiter, The Ninth Wave (7) for Armstrong trainer Danny O'Brien in the opener on the card, Happy Birthday Bookie Bart Stiles Trot and
Smokin Strepo (4) in the lucky last, the Thomas Foods Pace for SA trainer Kevin Von Due.
Other "locals" with runners engaged at Laidlaw Park on Friday are Michael McGrath (Ararat) Daryl Prosser (Kewell), Rod Carberry (Haven), Marnie Bibby (Navarre), Ross Fiscalini (Ararat) and the Great Westerners, Peter Manning, Michelle Wight and Kerryn Manning.
Here's hoping it's a terrific day of results for our "way-out-west stables" and their followers.
Interesting to see Red Cliffs based trainer Naomi Kerr making the long haul to Stawell with three runners Rostova (R2), Quartzite (5) and Captains Dream (6).
The "here-there-everywhere" horsewoman landed 88 winners in 2024 and in the past week has raced at Mildura, Globe Derby, Swan Hill & Port Pirrie.
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They're off @ Stawell, McLeod Memorials (D) Friday 24th; Wedderburn, Cup Meeting (D) Sunday 26th; Mt. Gambier (N) Tuesday 28th; Charlton (D) Friday 31st; Terang (D) Monday February 3rd; Charlton (D) Friday 7th; Mt. Gambier (T) & Swan Hill (N) Sunday 9th.