STAR reinswoman Kate Gath combined with Victoria's leading trainer Emma Stewart to win the $25,000 Central Victorian Pacing Championship at Wedderburn on Sunday with Pacifico Dream.
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The three-year-old colt lived up to his billing as a short-priced $1.40 favourite, to win the 2150m event in a new track record time.
A distance of 16.7 metres separated Gath and Pacifico Dream from Monash ($60.50), who fought on strongly for young Heathcote driver Shannon O'Sullivan to grab second, ahead of Larajay Macray for trainer Jess Tubbs and driver Greg Sugars.
Pacifico Dream was dropping back in class after winning a heat of the Victorian Derby at Ballarat last month before running fifth in the Group 1 final behind Line Up.
Gath, who has driven the classy colt in all but the first of his seven career starts for three wins, could not hide her affection for Pacifico Dream.
"I love him, he's a great horse. It's hard with the three-year-olds taking on the older horses, but when you've got his class it's not hard as he showed today (Sunday)," she said.
"He did a terrific job.
"I'm always grateful to get drives on horses - any horses - but particularly horses of his calibre.
"To finish off the way he did, he's an exciting horse."
Gath was equally thrilled to have steered home another winner for the Team Teal campaign, with $9200 having been raised so far from 23 female driving wins in Victoria during the six-week initiative.
Young Hamilton-based driver added to the Team Teal tally by guiding Presidentialchange to victory for her pop Jim Barker in the $7000 Inglewood Cup.
The Group 3 Central Victorian Trotting Championship was won by the Brent Lilley-trained and Chris Alford-driven Galleons Victory ($2.70 favourite) ahead of Sonny Brooke and Gunning.
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