Sport
29 June, 2026
Three local winners are grinners
THE seven event programme at Charlton Park last Monday saw three of the local trainers win races with the John Tormey stable taking the honours in the first race with Owen The Saints winning for its owner Noel Watson.
THE seven event programme at Charlton Park last Monday saw three of the local trainers win races with the John Tormey stable taking the honours in the first race with Owen The Saints winning for its owner Noel Watson.
The winner was driven by Jack Laugher and they defeated another local, the Mick Gadsden trained Hungry Hogarth by a half neck.
Not to be denied Mick’s horse To The Nines, driven by local driver Connor Clarke, made it two wins in a row when it won race two of the day.
The Poster Boy gelding once again showed his toughness by sitting outside the leader for the duration of the race and then sprinting home in a last quarter of 27.6 seconds.
In doing so the four-year-old took his lifetime win tally to ten with twenty placings and in excess of $58.000 in prize money.
Race three was almost a replay of the last trot at Ballarat four days earlier with Navarre owner/trainer Toby Ainsworth and driver James Herbertson winning again with Robert John who won comfortably by 2.4m in a career best time of 2.00.6.
Unfortunately the stable missed out on the quinella this time with Rasengan and Ada Massa placing fourth.
The GMG Financial Group pace went to the much travelled six-year-old Watch Your Back who made it two wins from three starts for the Tori Hutchins, Luke Dunne combination.
The New Zealand bred gelding had won once in it’s homeland, twice in New South Wales and had raced unsuccessfully in Queensland before coming to Charlton.
Charlton reinsman Luke Dunne made the journey to Shepparton on Tuesday where he drove a winner for Cormack Racing and their trainer David Harris and then on Wednesday he drove a winner for Betley trainer Steven Connor at Maryborough.
Luke made it five for the week when he drove a double at Mildura on Friday afternoon.
While the training honours at Maryborough undoubtedly belong to 87-year-old Bet Bet trainer Ray Cross with a winning double the effort of the Berrimal trained trotters deserve a mention. The Nick Youngson, Tarah McNamara team with driver James Herbertson were placed second in the first four races of the day, an incredible feat.
This coming week has Bendigo tonight, and Maryborough on Monday. Bendigo has one more meeting after tonight before they shutdown for a major upgrade to the track lighting and stabling area. If the rumour mill is right the venue will be used for more metropolitan front meetings if and when HRV are able to cash-in their Melton set-up and clear the industry’s $85 million debt.
Read More: St Arnaud