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IT’S not quite a month old, but 2017 is proving to be Chris Svanosio’s best ever year in the sulky.

Fresh from notching his first ever Group 1 success on Bendigo Cup night earlier this month, Svanosio added his second in Australasia’s richest trotting race at Tabcorp Park Melton on Saturday night.

The 35-year-old Bendigo driver teamed with south-west dairy farmer John Meade to land the$300,000 Great Southern Star with Sparkling Success.

It was Svanosio’s fifth win with Sparkling Success in the six-year-old gelding’s last nine starts, dating back to August 25.

Both horse and driver produced enormous performances after being three-wide approaching the mile mark and parked for the last 1400m.

They were able to overpower a crack field of trotters to win in a track record 1:58.7.

Svanosio was full of praise for the gelding’s Cudgee-based trainer.

“All credit to Meadey, he’s managed him perfectly. To sit in the death and beat that field … that was just fantastic,” he said.

It’s been a tough road back for Svanosio, who missed several months of racing in 2017 after being hospitalised with the rare condition - CSF leak (cerebrospinal fluid leak).

After a stint working alongside other trainers in the western district, he returned his hometown of Bendigo, where he has steadily gathered momentum as a trainer in his own right, as well as a driver.

In reference to his health battle, he said: “I would have been happy just to be in the race … even running last.”

Both Svanosio’s Group 1 successes have come with Sparkling Success.

It followed his breakthrough success with the Meade-trained trotter in the $50,000 Aldebaran Park Maori Mile on January 6 at Lord’s Raceway, also in a track record of time of 1:53:9.

It was the quickest time for a trotter over a mile in Victoria.

Saturday night’s win more than made amends for a close second in the previous weekend’s Group 2 E.B. Cochran Trotters Cup at Ballarat.

An ecstatic Meade was unable to contain his delight post-race.

“We thought he was better this week than last week,” he said.

“To win like that was fantastic. He’s a little ripper.

“I don’t plan on milking cows (Sunday).

“We’re having a proper party. Everyone that wants to come is invited.”

The win was Svanosio’s 20th for the season from 151 starts. He has also driven 17 seconds and 18 thirds for a win and places to starts ratio of 36 per cent.