Lord's Raceway has been a second home for Chris Svanosio.
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His father Peter has been on the committee of the Bendigo Harness Racing Club for the best part of 40 years and Chris has been attending the Bendigo Pacing Cup meeting since he was old enough to walk.
It was fitting that the Bendigo harness racing driver broke through for his first Group One victory on Bendigo Pacing Cup night.
Svanosio steered Sparkling Success to a stunning victory in the Group One Aldebaran Park Maori Mile on Saturday.
For the locals, Svanosio's victory overshadowed Messini's win in the Petstock Bendigo Pacing Cup.
"To win my first Group One race at Bendigo in front of a lot of family and friends was terrific,'' Svanosio said.
"It's great to win a big race. You do a lot of travelling, a lot of late nights, a lot of early mornings...this is the reward."
Svanosio didn't bustle Sparkling Success out of the gates and he settled ideally in fourth place.
Svanosio made a key move with 1000m remaining when he moved Sparkling Success to the death seat outside the leader.
The six-year-old trotter travelled sweetly outside Glenferrie Typhoon and put the race to bed at the top of the home straight.
Sparkling Success won by 6.5m in a track record time of 1:53:9. It was also the quickest time for a trotter over a mile in Victoria.
"He felt terrific all the way and he just cruised home,'' Svanosio said.
"I was happy to stay out of trouble early on and I knew once the race settled down that the death seat would be available.
"The horse races well from the death seat and he never looked like losing.
"Once he gets a length or two in front... he sometimes waits for the others, but he just did it so easy."
Svanosio said Sparkling Success was likely to have one more run before its grand final in the Great Southern Star.
Meanwhile, master driver Chris Alford put on a clinic at Lord's Raceway on Saturday night.
Alford won five of the eight races, including the Petstock Bendgo Pacing Cup with Messini.
The Cup was expected to be a two-horse war between Moonrock and Ideal For Real, but it was Messini, Alford and trainer Brett Lilley who had the last laugh.
Messini enjoyed the hot tempo out in front and Alford produced a well-timed run to win by six metres from Mister Wickham and Bad Billy.
Missrock and Ideal For Real finished fourth and seventh respectively.
Longlea trainer Graham McDermott celebrated a home track win with Waikare Astronomer.
Aided by a great Gavin Lang drive, Waikare Astronomer stormed home on the sprint lane to win his second race from just nine career starts.
