ULTRA-CONSISTENT Bendigo trotter Kyvalley Finn has shaken of his bridesmaid tag and broken his Group 1 drought by winning the Aldebaran Park Vicbred Super Series Final for four-year-old entires and geldings at Tabcorp Park Melton on Friday night.
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The gelding was superbly driven by his trainer Chris Svanosio, with the pair edging ahead of the $1.40 favourite Majestic Player, with Jason Lee in the sulky, in the shadows of the post to score a memorable and exciting win in the $100,000 feature.
It was another Group 1 success for Svanosio, who broke his duck aboard the John Meade-trained Sparkling Success in last year's $50,000 Maori Mile at Lord's Raceway.
The win ensured a reversal of the placings in the heat run at Kilmore on June 27, won in emphatic fashion by the smart Anton Golino-trained gelding Majestic Player, who was gallant in defeat.
Kyvalley Finn had come close before at Group 1 level, finishing second at long odds in last year's Victoria Trotters Derby at Maryborough in August behind the Brent Lilley-trained Stress Factor, and entered the final with a string of four placings alongside his name since his most recent win at Bendigo on May 17.
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An ecstatic Svanosio admitted post-race he had been more boyish of the finals hopes of his other stable star Anywhere Hugo, who was a scratching from the race after also finishing second in his heat at Kilmore.
"It's great for him to finally win a good race, Kyvalley Finn - he was terrific last season," Svanosio told Trots Vision.
"I remember how disappointed I was when we ran second in the derby, but this makes up for it tonight.
"I followed Jason (Lee) all the way and I didn't have to go until the the top of the straight, it just panned out perfectly.
"I thought I was going to just get there all the way up the straight, but you never know until they stick their head in front and I'm glad he did.
"(Anywhere Hugo and Kyvalley Finn) quinellad the Holmfield last year and I honestly thought Anywhere Hugo was my chance of winning this race.
"It was disappointing for everyone he couldn't make it here tonight, but he will be back."
Kyvalley Finn has been a model of consistency for his owner and breeder Jim Connolly and trainer Svanosio, winning eight of his 35 career starts and being placed on 18 occasions.
Three of those wins have come this season.
The gelding's narrow losses at Group level have included a quartet of seconds behind the Kate Hargreaves-trained Well Defined in the Group 3 Tontine Trotting Championship at Terang in March, in the Group 3 Central Victorian Trotting Championship at Maryborough in January, the Group 2 HHRSC Holmfield behind Anywhere Hugo last June, and last year's Group 2 New South Wales Trotters Derby at Menangle.
Svanosio was ever-quick to praise the efforts of his stable team, after notching his 39th win of the 2018-19 season as a trainer.
"I can't thank everyone enough, they allow me just to concentrate on what I have to do - I know they are always going to do things spot on and that makes things so much easier," he said.
"And to get the support of (owners) like Jim Connolly and Duncan McPherson - I have a great group of terrific owners who are giving me chances to win these races."
A magnificent Vicbred Super Series trotting finals night nearly ended with a second Bendigo region Group 1 win, with the Maree Campbell-trained Lucinda Mac producing a superb effort to finish second in the four-year-old trotting mares final.
Lucinda Mac was given every chance by Greg Sugars, but was narrowly unable to hold out the fast-finishing Moonlight Dream, which gave the trainer-driver combo of Andy and Kate Gath their second success of the night after their earlier Group 3 free-for-all win with rising star McLovin.
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