HARNESS RACING
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TABCORP Park Menangle Country Series races and Great Investment seem to go hand-in-hand.
Nine of the gelding's last ten races have been in the lucrative series and the tenth is on the way after the Trevor White-trained gelding won his way through to a fourth final.
Starting from barrier one, White was able to push up and hold the lead and from there was never headed to win the $10,000 heat at Junee on Saturday.
Sent out as a $2.60 favourite by punters Great Investment had too much in reserve for his rivals, defeating Mister Pinjarra by 3.3metres with Tan Son Nhut running into third.
Unplaced in his three starts this season, White put the improved performance to finally getting the gelding into shape after doing well in the spelling paddock.
"He's been a little bit disappointing in his runs this year, he's been a bit fat and I've had trouble getting the weight off him," White said.
"I think he's coming right now."
Racing in the country series races has been the main focus for White, with significantly more prizemoney on offer than the majority of races in the area.
"They are great and he's done really well out of them," he said.
"They are best thing ever to happen to the country.
"It's really good as we don't get to race for $10,000 that much."
Although the win at Junee was Great Investment's first in the series, he finished second in a $25,000 final in March to go with four seconds and a third in other heats.
Coming into his fourth country series final White is looking for another good draw for the gelding after coming from barrier one twice and barrier four in his previous finals.
After qualifying at Temora earlier this month David Lang's Perfezione and Shane Hallcroft's Grace Artois will join Great Investment and Mister Pinjarra in Saturday's final at Menangle.
In the second of the popular series heats run at Junee Georges Plains-trained gelding Magic Trump led all the way for Bernie and Mark Hewitt.
Narrowly holding off the fast finishing Promises Galore for Young trainer-driver Michael Hardy by half a neck, Magic Trump brought up his third win in his last four starts.
After running the fastest time of the night with a mile rate of 1:59.6 to pair will clash again in Saturday's final with Col Thomas' Dealer qualifying for the $25,000 final after winning his heat at Temora on January 4.