Harness racing
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
LACKING in numbers, the Riverina punched above it's weight with three horses connected to the region scoring wins on Coolamon's all trotters program.
Henty father and son combination Greg and Grant Forrest flew the flag for the Riverina with Forestspider leading all of the way to win the $8000 Bruce Wicks Memorial.
The Forrests had five horses engaged but Forestspider showed she is a mare with a bright future, winning by 9.3 metres.
First up from a short spell Grant was pleased with her performance, especially as it was her first under stand start conditions.
"I didn't know how she was going to go from the stand being her first standing start but she went away from the tapes really quickly," Grant said.
"She's one that likes to run along so I let her bowl along out in front - it makes the ones off the 40, 30 and 20 metre (handicaps) hard to run her down.
"She got a little bit tired in the last 50 metres but she had enough in the tank to get over the line."
The Forrests are looking to target a heat and final series for T0 to T3 mares with the four-year-old's next.
The $7500 heat will be run at Maryborough on May 21, where Forestspider run an Australian three-year-old record last season, with the $14,500 final to be run at Melton on May 30.
The Riverina-bred Lindy Vale and Spidergrace also won on the seven-race card for Kialla trainer-driver Laura Crossland.
Lindy Vale, owned by Darlington Point's Mick Grace, won the $10,000 Country Trotters Oaks by a head from Zharis Idol for David Jack while Grace also bred Spidergrace - the victor in the Humbletonian by 19.2 metres.
In a first for the Coolamon's meeting a monte event was run where trotters are ridden rather than driven.
Reinsman Daryl Douglas has enjoyed a lot of success since taking to the saddle this season and his good form continued with Sonofanearl leading all the way to win for trainer Brent Lilley.
Sonofanearl dominated the small monte field defeating Lysenko by 20.3 metres with favourite Go Ahead Makemyday a further 18.7 metres away in third.
Douglas is currently seventh in the national driving premiership and his win yesterday moved him in the first place in the national monte series ahead of injured rider Haley Toulmin.