CHAMPION pacer Lennytheshark didn’t let his fans down with a commanding performance in Saturday night’s PETstock Bendigo Pacing Cup.
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Lennytheshark was expected to win comfortably and he did just that, leading from start to finish to win by 10 metres from 2014 winner Im Corzin Terror, with Franco Ledger third.
Driver Chris Alford became the first reinsman to win the Bendigo Pacing Cup four times.
Alford moved one win ahead of the great Vin Knight.
It was clearly the easiest of Alford’s four Cup victories.
From gate five Alford guided Lennytheshark to the front and he never looked like being headed.
The Inter Dominion champion was given an easy time in front and when Alford decided it was time to go, the rest of the field was left wanting.
The Bendigo Pacing Cup victory was the perfect warm-up for the Miracle Mile at Menangle on February 27.
Lennytheshark won’t have it all his own way that night, with two-time Inter Dominion champion Beautide to be one of his rivals in the $750,000 event. A Miracle Mile win would life Lennytheshark’s career earnings passed the $2million mark.
Second placegetter Im Corzin Terror showed another win was not too far away with a gallant run. The Dean Braun-trained pacer was never going to get near the $1.04 favourite, but another country Cup would suit the eight-year-old.
Glenferrie Typhoon smashed the Lord’s Raceway mile-rate record on his way to winning the Group One Aldebaran Park Maori Mile on Saturday night.
The Andy Gath-trained trotter blew away a quality field to win his first race at Group One level.
Glenferrie Typhoon’s blistering mile-rate of 1:54.3 broke the track record by 1.3 seconds, which was set by Maori Time in last year’s Maori Mile.
Ironically, it was Maori Mile that helped set up the sensational time on Saturday night.
As expected, Maori Time showed great speed from the gates and pushed hard in an attempt to find the lead.
However, Kate Gath and Glenferrie Typhoon kicked up on her inside and held the front.
The show of speed resulted in a breathtaking 26.2 second first quarter.
That sort of time would normally give the backmarkers great hope, but Glenferrie Typhoon had other ideas.
He reeled off a 28.7 third quarter and a 28.5 last quarter to surge away from his rivals.
Claudys Princess and Kyvalley Blur filled the placings, but all credit went to Glenferrie Typhoon.
Meanwhile, Bendigo Cup night proved a resounding success for central Victorian trained pacers and trotters.
Sedgwick trainer Ross Graham started the night in perfect fashion when his pacer Animated was an impressive winner of the first race.
With popular Bendigo driver Todd Matthews in the sulky, the four-year-old made it five wins from 10 starts with an all-the-way victory in 1:58.2.
Glenn Douglas made it a double for Bendigo trainers when Trison used the sprint lane to win the All Seasons Hotel Pace.
Junortoun’s Gary Donaldson looks set to have a great season with Regal Ambition. The four-year-old made it two wins from as many starts this preparation when he led all the way to win the World’s Best Hoof Oil Pace.
Elmore’s Keith Cotchin rounded out the successful night when Meadow Valley Road won the Bendigo Bank Trot. Meadow Valley Road held off Rift Valley by a half-head in a thrilling two-horse war.