Bettor Move Along Salutes First Up For New Stable
Bettor Move Along getting the win in the first at Wagin for Trent Wheeler. Photo Credit: Photography by Jodie Hallows
With seven races on the card at Wagin, training honours were with Hayden Reeves who managed to train two of the seven winners of the night after he made the 2.5-hour trip to Wagin with 13 runners, walking away with two wins, two seconds and four thirds on the card. Reeves is currently leading the Wagin Club Training Premiership for the 2021 season, sitting on 30 points, 11 points ahead of his nearest rival, Michael Callegari.
With a driving double, it was Trent Wheeler who had bragging rights in the reinsmans’ room with his two victories and three placings throughout the night. Wheeler is currently sitting second on the driving premiership at Wagin, just two points from the leader, Ash Markham.
Bettor Move Along won first up for his new stable, giving the three-year-old his second win at just his eighth career start. Now in the care of Brian Wheeler, the lightly raced gelding was steered home by Wheeler’s son, Trent, giving the Collie based family the win only a week since taking him on for his Allwood Stud connections. Saluting narrowly in the first, Bettor Move Along mile rated in 1:59:7 over the 1776m sprint trip at Wagin.
“It looked like a good night on paper. Dad has only had the horse a week, we were just happy to get one off Peter Anderson and Bob Fowler and continue it’s good form.” Wheeler said.
It was a tussle in the finish in the second between race favourite Lap Of Honour and El Jessie, with The Hayden Reeves trained El Jessie getting her neck in front at the right time to win narrowly by a short-half-head. Spacing the rest of the field by 17.9m, the win gave Trent Wheeler a race-to-race double early on the card. After a brief look at getting to the front, the four-year-old mare settled behind the leader through, bringing up her third victory for the stable after going down narrowly last start.
Thats So Fetch has recorded his second win just one month after his maiden victory at the Central Wheatbelt. Trained by Will Vlemmix, the four-year-old led all the way, giving Hayden Charles the winning steer.
$1.30 favourite Miss Taken NZ was too good in the fourth, winning by 3.3m in. Trained by Matt Scott and driven by Mitchell Miller, the five-year-old continued her good form for connections, recording her third win at just her ninth start in the state. After settling at the rear of the field, with around 600m to go she made her run, winning impressively in a mile rate of 2:02:4.
After taking out the Group 1 Allwood Stud 2YO Colts and Geldings Westbred Classic at Gloucester Park with Rock On Top, the De Campo trained Gods Plan took out race five at Wagin for driver Mark Johnson, continuing a successful Friday night for the in form stable. After being beaten for speed early, the three-year-old brought up her second win in just five starts, winning by a head in 2:01:8.
The 2021 Wagin Cup victor Budd Sidewinder returned the winners circle for Michael Callegari and Ashleigh Markham, giving the warhorse his first win since taking out the cup in April. After settling one-out-two-back, the seven-year-old was just too strong, defeating his rivals by 8.4m in 1:59:3 over the 2180m journey.
Art Revival was on his best behaviour last night and broke through for his maiden win in the last, giving Hayden Reeves a training double for the night and Shane Butterworth the winning steer in race seven. With 14 starts under his belt, the double-westbred gelding was yet to place any higher than third, but after lobbing the one-one position throughout, four-year-old put his best foot forward last night, winning by 1.3m.
Ashleigh Paikos