A HORSE overdue for a change in luck and a driver, who has had to settle for a string of minor placings in previous Elmore Pacing Cups, have combined to win this year’s $4000 feature race.
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A smart drive from Bendigo reinsman Chris Svanosio enabled the St Arnaud-owned and trained pacer Dot The Eye to score just his third win from 36 starts in Wednesday’s race at the Elmore track.
The five-year-old gelding was sixth on the line of betting in the nine-horse field and paid a tidy $17.20 the win.
While others in the race might have been better supported by punters, there was no lack of confidence in Dot The Eye turning his fortunes around from his driver Svanosio and trainer Denis McIntyre.
“He’s not having any racing luck at the moment, it’s just one of those runs you sometimes have with horses,” said McIntyre, who not only owns and trains the gelding, but also bred him.
“He lacks gate speed, so he can’t make his own luck, and when you lack gate speed you rely on a bit of luck in the run.
“Because he’s been drawing the extreme barrier he’s been without luck, but this time a few horses galloped which opened things up for him …. but he needed to be good enough to win of course as he won pretty decisively.”
The final margin was 5.1 metres, with the Tim McGuigan-trained Artoripace ($3.80)running on well for second, with the outsider of the field Better Than That ($79.80) third.
The chances of the only Elmore-trained pacer in the field Gone Too Far and the Heathcote-trained Realy Under Fire were ruined when both galloped just seconds into the race.
It was a satisfying win for Svanosio, whose six previous drives in the Cup had yielded an unlucky six minor placings.
“He’s been having no luck, but he got into a good spot from a bad draw and stayed out of trouble and was able to finish over the top of them,” he said.
“He’s just needed that luck.”
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Svanosio, who earlier this year broke through for his first Group 1 driving win, said he was unaware of his previous luckless record in the race until he was reminded post-race.
“I knew I ran a place in this race when I first started driving – that was about 13 years ago -, but I didn’t have any idea I’d had that many placings,” he said.
“I’ve always thought this horse could develop into a MR horse down at Melton, so hopefully he can step up a bit now.
“He’s had his fair share of problems along the way, but if he can stay injury-free, he might just be able to start racing down at Melton.”
The day’s other feature event – the Elmore Trotters’ Cup – was won by the Ararat-trained mare Love The Aces, who was driven by Lockwood South-based driver Neil McCallum.
The six-year-old has endured a frustrating run of leg injuries on his way to winning four races from 12 starts after making his racing debut in late 2015.
