Sport
31 May, 2026
Club honoured for best track
THE Charlton Harness Racing Club were recognised at the Trots Clubs Victoria 2025 awards function at Rich River Golf Club last Monday night.
THE Charlton Harness Racing Club were recognised at the Trots Clubs Victoria 2025 awards function at Rich River Golf Club last Monday night.
Charlton were awarded the trophy for the Best presented track/venue of the twenty-five Victorian country tracks for 2025.
The Club, in accepting the award, acknowledged the efforts of Wes and Kye Jenkyn in having the areas surrounding the track in pristine condition and the on-track workers led by Laurie Mul for regularly producing one of the best racetrack surfaces in the state.
The Tori Hutchins and Luke Dunne combination made the trek to Shepparton on Tuesday with the NZ bred Watch Your Back who was having its first start for their stable.
The six-year-old had had forty-seven starts in NZ and Australia before Tuesday for three wins and ten placings and with a forward showing expected was kept safe in the market eventually starting favourite at $3.10.
It’s backers had no need for concern with Luke taking the pacer straight to the front from barrier five and proving much too strong for the opposition at the finish to win by 7.4m, rating 1.57.1 for the 1690m race.
The John Tormey stable picked up two winners mid-week with Karbine and Jack Laugher making it three wins from four starts when it won the opening race at Bendigo on Wednesday.
Ellen Tormey was then successful aboard the former Julie Douglas trained King Saint at Kilmore on Thursday night.
The four-year-old, who is raced by its breeder Noel Watson of Swan Hill, has now had five lifetime wins and Thursday’s mile rate of 1.56.8 was a career best.
The good Mildura form of the Charlton trainers and drivers continued on Friday afternoon with Connor Clarke driving an early winner for Andrew Vozlic.
Mick Gadsden and Luke Dunne then got a double with No Emotion and Hungry Hogarth.
Both winners hadn’t had much luck at their recent starts so their wins were just reward for their connections patience.
This coming Sunday sees the running of the $20,000 Maryborough Pacing Cup that was in its heyday known as the Gold Cup.
There will be an honour roll of winners that includes Reformist, R T Conway, and Yankee Dollar, R J Patching.