Tiger Lou NZ Photo by Photography by Jodie Hallows
Tiger Lou NZ made her Australian debut one to remember, giving her new connections a victorious start with a win at Kellerberrin on Sunday, May 5, trained by Matt Scott and driven by country specialist Shannon Suvaljko.
After starting from barrier two in race 4 the Norm Bell Memorial, the seven-year-old mare by Sweet Lou USA started off the 10m handicap over the 2500m standing start trip, leading all the way from start to stop, with her connection’s hopeful it’s the first of many.
“She was for sale for not a lot of money on Harness Trading Ring,
“I gave her four weeks off when she arrived and she had been working like a city horse before Sunday,
“She was underdone and will improve.” Matt Scott said.
With prospects looking good for Tiger Lou NZ, Scott is confident that if she keeps improving, he has a city class mare on his hands.
The Central Wheatbelt Harness Racing Club honoured passed members on Sunday, with race 1 the Alex Postans, Denis Hobson, Walter & Ralph Dowding Memorial going the way of two-year-old World Combination for Peter Anderson and Shannon Suvaljko.
Having just his second start in the race, it was a great run to the line with just a half head margin between first and second in the opener, with the Allwood Stud Farm bred and owned youngster coming out on top over the 2130m trip.
Pacific Eagle got the cash in race 2 the George Tiller, Molly Merchant, Pat Haselmore & Ken Couper Memorial (1730m) with the $2.45 favourite staying out of the early fight for the lead to settle in the one-out-one-back position with Donald Harper biding his time to make his move wide with around 600m to go, putting a 4.2m margin on them on the line for trainer Caris Hamilton-Smith.
Mother and son duo Jane Steer and Liam Elliott took out race 3 on the card, the Peter Ibbotson, Ernie Barnes, Geoff Scott & Bill Whitfield Memorial (2130m) with Mister Piccolo breaking his 17-start losing sequence.
The five-year-old gelding, who hasn’t won since May 2023 has been knocking around in the placings in recent months but on Sunday was able to get the win over the race favourite Ellucifer with a 4.9m margin separating the two.
After recently passing away after her battle with illness, race 5 was named after Jenny Inwood, the In Loving Memory of Jenniffer Inwood Pace (2130m) which saw the memorial race go the way of the Tony Allington trained Sleek And Sweet.
Giving Donald Harper a double in the cart on the day, the seven-year-old who hasn’t won since October 2022, which was coincidentally also at Kellerberrin, was able to lead all the way in the fifth to bring up her sixth success in 42 starts.
Peter Anderson prepared a training double on Sunday with Worlds Above taking out race 6 the S M Elliott Memorial (2130m) for the 3YO’s.
Giving the ill-fated stallion Rock N Roll World USA a siring double, Worlds Above started as the $1.38 favourite in the event, with Shannon Suvaljko ending his drives on the day with a treble and ultimately giving the 55-year-old bragging rights for driving honours.
Six-year-old Local Resident may have been a little slow from the starting gates to get his racing career going, but the son of Follow The Stars quickly brought up his second career success for trainer Michael Vlemmix at just their third attempt together in race 7, the Bryce Stevens, Sid Arthur, Harry & Shirley Ware Memorial Pace (1730m).
Dirven by in-form reinsman, Stuart McDonald, the $1.50 favourite started from barrier three and with Peeping Tom unable to hold his position behind the leader, it allowed Local Resident and McDonald to slot into that prime position, with the pair making full use of the sprint lane in the home straight to win by a 3.4m margin on the line.
Racing at The Central Wheatbelt Harness Racing Club will return in a fortnights time, May 19 with the $11,000 Shire Of Kellerberrin Central Wheatbelt Cup featuring on the day.
