AFTER passing the 100 wins in a season milestone for the first time in her burgeoning career earlier this month, Kate Hargreaves was asked what the soon-to-be new racing season had in store.
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The young Shelbourne trainer identified her want for more metropolitan-grade runners and winners.
"We definitely want to have more runners at Melton each week," she told the Bendigo Advertiser.
Hargreaves is getting her wish with the likes of Dont Care - second in the Group 1 Breeders Crown Series final for two-year-old trotters - and Well Defined, who finished third at Group 3 level last Saturday night behind Majestuoso, demonstrating their capabilities in recent weeks.
Add to that list the name of Maestro Bellini, who made it back-to-back successes at harness racing headquarters last Saturday night with his win in the first heat of the Gordon Rothacker Memorial Championship (1720m).
The six-year-old gelding has had only three starts for Hargreaves and training partner Alex Ashwood since arriving from the KerryAnn Morris stable in New South Wales.
He followed up a third at Mildura behind Caulonia Terror in late November with a win at Melton earlier this month.
The son of Bettors Delight was able to replicate that effort following a patient drive by Ryan Duffy, who sat on the back of the leader Russley Rush throughout, before surging through on the inside in the straight to win by three-metres over the fast-finishing Steel Screen, with Zuberi a further two-metres back in third.
Maestro Bellini's 17th career win from 72 starts - and for five different stables - qualified him for this Saturday night's Group 3 final over 1720m.
The six-year-old has drawn the outside of the back row, after coming from the inside of the back row last Saturday, and will again be driven by Duffy.
Hargreaves, who has jumped past Jess Tubbs to now be equal-fourth in the state trainer's premiership standings alongside David Aiken, added her 108th win of the season and 11th for the month of December with Wisp Of Smoke at Geelong on Tuesday night.
Wisp Of Smoke, a four-year-old trotting mare and driven by Josh Duggan, has now won his past three starts, at Charlton, Kilmore and Geelong, with all those wins achieved this month.
The three-year-old filly Elita has also been a dual-winner for Hargreaves this month with wins at Mildura and Cobram.
The stable's December winners
December 2: The Knight Star, Elita, Tay Tay (Mildura)
December 3: Wisp Of Smoke (Charlton)
December 5: Maestro Bellini (Melton)
December 8: Wisp Of Smoke, Oneoutofthesquare (Kilmore)
December 10: Elita (Cobram)
December 12: Maestro Bellini (Melton)
December 14: Andrew Swagger (Maryborough)
December 15: Wisp Of Smoke (Geelong)
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