Harness racing
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FOR the second time in three weeks a Shaun Snudden-trained horse has broken a track record at Wagga.
Modern Era set a new mile rate of 1:56.6 for the 1755-metre journey on October 10 before stablemate Barriettas Bliss eclipsed the long standing mark for 2165 metres yesterday.
Her time was two tenths of a second faster than Flyingrama's record set in 2005.
Leading all the way, the five-year-old mare posted a new record of 1:56.8 and it looked like she had plenty in reserve.
Streeting her rivals by more than 30 metres, driver Adam Richardson was quiet in the sulky and didn't have to pull the ears plugs.
Snudden has now set his targets on winning the $10,000 Griffith Cup with the mare on November 16.
"She's going good and we'll head towards Griffith and see what she does from there," Snudden said.
"She should get in well off the front line and she's a C4 now and its a C3-6."
Taking advantage of her mares concession the daughter of Blissfull Hall should draw well alongside other C3 assessed horses.
"She's a C3 effectively and should get in reasonably well, although it won't be easy as it's higher graded horses as well and that was only a C1-C2," Snudden said.
"It will be up in grade but obviously she can free wheel good speed."
Barriettas Bliss ran a slick mile rate of 1:57.6 for the same distance on the same night when Modern Era set his track record before disappointing at Bathurst.
Coming from the second line she didn't look the same horse and finished fifth 13.9 metres off winner Rocky Carrington.
Snudden wasn't sure what caused the performance.
"She looked flat around the corner and then did her best work up the lane and I'm not sure if she got a little lost in behind them or maybe it was the long trip," Snudden said.
"I've found she's probably better when she doesn't back up as quick and maybe that's the key to her - keeping her fresher."
Snudden also enjoyed success with Dillingers Princess who won her first race in her 30th start.
Putting the writing on the wall with two seconds in her first two starts for Snudden the five-year-old got up in the last stride to defeat Kim Hillier's runner Ivans Modern Magic.
Despite being edged out in that race the Hillier team still recorded three wins on the eight-race program with Billy Branach, Benoah and Purple Devil all winning.