Bitobliss and trainer/driver Scott Stewart take out the Smoken Up Sprint at Melton.
Bitobliss waltzed to victory in the James & Son Smoken Up Sprint last night at Tabcorp Park Melton.
The son of Blissfull Hall/Petite Alto became a three-time winner of the race previously known as The Legends, scoring a 3.2-metre victory over Im Barney Rubble, with Wartime Sweetheart third in a mile rate of 1:53.4.
Punters sent the Scott Stewart trained-and-driven eight-year-old out at the prohibitive odds of $1.30 after a last-start Popular Alm Sprint win at Kilmore where he broke the track record.
While there was no record-breaking tonight – Bitobliss coasting through the first two quarters of the final mile in 30.1 and 29.1 – the favourite was always in control from the pole draw.
Im Barney Rubble started big odds ($29.80) from inside the back row but, as many expected, trailed through nicely early on to the leader’s back for a beaut cart around.
The third horse over the line also had a cushy run, Wartime Sweetheart ($35.60) using the sprint lane from three back along the markers – meaning the three horses on the peg line throughout finished one, two and three.
Bitobliss will now head to Sydney where he will contest the Coca-Cola Amatil Sprint in the hope of gaining a Miracle Mile invitation.
He has had 24 wins from 52 career starts for over $450,000 in stakes.
As expected the Glenferrie Farm Chris Howe Trotters Cup went to the David Aiken stable – but unexpectedly for most, it was Cold Sister who took the chocolates over her far more fancied stable-mate My High Expectations.
Cold Sister ($7), driven by David’s son Josh Aiken, grabbed the lead early from gate six before electing to take cover when David took up the running behind My High Expectations ($1.20).
Completing the first two quarters of the last mile in 31.9 and 30.4, My High Expectations had every chance to control proceedings.
He quickened up down the back with consistent I See Icy Earl making his run for Vincent Langdon, the leader clocking a third quarter of 28.8.
In the run to the line, Josh Aiken angled Cold Sister off the back of the leader and to the outside before the seven-year-old daughter of Like A Prayer/Aspenglow wound up strongest to score by 1.5 metres in a rate of 1:59.2.
I See Icy Earl battled on gamely for third at his first run for new trainer Kylee Paull, while Kyvalley Blur ran fourth and former pacer Mister Zion was fifth.
The last race of the night delivered a thrill for junior reinsman Joshua Smyth, who drove his first metropolitan winner aboard Ken Tippet trained Regal Equation in the St Arnaud Cup Sunday Trot over 2240 metres.
Despite starting at outsider’s quote of $90, Regal Equation (by Sierra Kosmos/Maoris Glory) led from start to finish, scoring a 5.6-metre triumph over Pocket Of Fortune with Bitten By Walhalla finishing strongly for third.
In other results on the night, the Aiken stable took out the Swift Signs Free For All with six-year-old Art Major/Vangold horse Cold Major saluting over Lance Justice trained duo Machin Out and Toulouse Lautrec in second and third in a rate of 1:58.6.
Mat Craven’s promising six-year-old Whata Punt (Art Major/Please Don’t Tease) got home by four metres in the Empirestallions.com Pace over 1720 metres.
Whata Punt found the front from gate three to score in a mile rate of 1:54.0 over runner-up Mister Livan and third placegetter Our Classie Mach.
Kari Males trained seven-year-old mare Bellas Delight made it back-to-back victories in the NYE @ Tabcorp Park Pace over 1720 metres with driver Greg Sugars in the cart.
The daughter of Bettors Delight/Bella Aurora defeated Kamwood Jack by 1.7 metres, with Centonic in third.
John Newberry trained-and-driven four-year-old gelding Diamond Ace dashed his rivals in the TAB.com.au 4YO Pace over 1720 metres.
First-up from a spell, the son of Extreme Three/Diamond Cove found the front with customary early gate speed before controlling the terms to score by a neck over Keayang Active, with Bettor Than Best in third. The mile rate was 1:56.7.
Brent Lilley’s good run of form continued in the Aldebaran Park Trot, his eight-year-old son of Armbro Invasion/Second Guess, Abbotshall, scoring a head win in the 2240-metre event for driver Rodney Petroff.
Hinault finished second, while The Majestic was third in a mile rate of 2:00.0.
The night kicked off with a win to Ross Sugars and Greg Sugars, their six-year-old mare by Real Desire out of Knowing Pocket – Our Burning Desire – defeating runner-up Union Belle and third placegetter Priceless Gem in the Alabar Pace over 2240 metres.
Our Burning Desire finished too strongly for his rivals to win in a rate of 1:55.9.
