Colin Brown leads the pack on Midnight Dylan.
THE 2012 $40,000 De Rosa’s Motors Pinjarra Pacing Cup, one of the major events on the Harness Racing calendar, will take place at Pinjarra Paceway this Monday.
The public holiday meeting will play host to an array of talented drivers sure to provide patrons with a day of immense excitement for all those headed to the 1000-metre track.
In what promises to be anyone’s race, team Bond’s 100th winner for the season, Lombo Pocket Watch has put his rivals on notice after a gutsy win last Friday night with Colin Brown behind the reins.
Brown has seemingly sprouted wings since becoming the leading stable driver for the popular Forrestdale training couple and is sure to head up a red hot betting field worthy of a major city race.
As in past seasons trainers from all walks of life have pencilled in this day as their ‘go to’ race and with the additional funding of an extra $10,000 this year, it is the richest harness racing cup in Western Australia.
Owners, drivers and trainers along with the expected record crowd, will also this year have the added excitement of racing with the newly unveiled sprint lane.
A subject of much interest for all trackside last Monday, betting figures released by club general manager Revell Douglas indicate that the sprint lane was received well with figures up on the previous few meetings.
Whilst it is early days for the sprint lane with drivers still to come to terms with this new initiative it was interesting to note that only one winner on the eight event programme last week came from the inside passing lane.
There were two fitting winners of the first race on the eight event programme last Monday, Rod Oliver as trainer of Heez On Fire in the Greenfield’s Liquor Pace, and Brown who continues to be the runaway leader in this season’s Driver Of The Year award.
Oliver has been a stalwart of the industry for many years as the travelling mobile saddlery van.
Rarely does a day pass at Pinjarra without Oliver and his van, loaded to the hilt with all the necessities needed by the fraternity and driver, in attendance
Punters were also happy to see Monday’s regular Aldo Cortapassi, back in the winners circle as the trainer/driver of Cheerful Dame in the Alcoa Alumina three-year-old Pace.
Cortapassi is making a return to the driving ranks after a particularly bad fall at the venue early in the season which resulted in him having to have steel pins inserted in his shoulder.
Whilst he may not take the dance floor next Monday to dance along to the sounds of Leather n Lace, no doubt he will have nominations for the nine event card as he up tempo’s his stables with a few new additions from New Zealand and the eastern seaboard.
The horse talent will not just be restricted to the pacing action with Girls, Girls, Girls Trick Riding Troupe sure to be a hit as they perform live with some outstanding riding displays.
There will also be free children’s entertainment, tremendous food and a punters club along with free admittance and free parking.
The first race will start at around 11.50am.