SHE only made it by an hour or so on Tuesday night, but Lola Devereaux became the first Central region horse to record three wins under the current regional racing model
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The in-form Anthony Crossland-trained trotter hit the three-win mark with her victory in the second race on the card at Lord's Raceway.
It also made it three wins in a row for the three-year-old daughter of Bacardi Lindy, who has emerged as one of the pin-ups of the temporary racing model.
Not to be outdone, Lola Devereaux would be joined as a triple-race winner by the end of the night by the Shaun McNaulty-trained Gobsmacked and Keith Cotchin-trained Betternbetter.
Of the trio, only Betternbetter is undefeated since early April, with Lola Devereaux and Gobsmacked winning three of four starts on their home track.
Three and counting has Crossland anxiously awaiting any developments from Harness Racing Victoria on its post-coronavirus pandemic plans.
"She is growing in confidence and really trotting well, which makes all the difference," he said.
"She ran fourth in the Group 1 Sires as a two-year-old and she has proven she can run at that level.
"I'm not sure she can beat the very top horses, but she can definitely compete with them.
"Those real top ones they go the speed during the running, but then they click down and go to another gear. Now she has her confidence, I think she can click down and go with them.
"We'll need to sit down now and work out whether we'll keep going with her, or whether we give her a little break.
"No one knows if the Oaks and the Sires will be run, so the hard part for me is, if I put her out in the paddock, they may come back and say the good races are on here, and you don't get her up in time.
"With an uncertain future it's hard to make plans."
Crossland said even more pleasing than the statistic of three-straight wins was the genuine improvement at each start from Lola Devereaux.
"When I am in the race, I have to make sure that it doesn't just turn into a walk and a dash home, then you are likely to be out-sprinted," he said.
"I am making a conscious effort to run a speed she is able to and the others can't sprint off."
Tuesday's win came in a personal best mile rate of 2:01.9 and stretched the filly's career record to three wins and four placings from 20 starts for career earnings of $26,940.
Crossland is looking forward to the return 'at some point' of his other smart three-year-old Rules Don't Apply.
The gelding has not raced since his second placing in the Group 1 Vicbred Platinum Home Grown Classic Final in December behind Keayang Ignite.
Meanwhile, Gobsmacked made it back-to-back wins with a brave short-half head win over fellow in-form pacer Courageous Saint and Vandanta in the NR 70 to 120 sprint.
The four-year-old was driven by champion reinsman Brian Gath.
READ MORE:
Have you signed up to the Bendigo Advertiser's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in central Victoria.