Giant three-year-old trotter Scootin Around looks set to repay trainer Dylan Stratford and his owners for their patience after his win in the DNR Logistics Trot at Melton on Friday.
A graduate of the 2018 Premier Trotting Sale, Scootin Around did not race as a two-year-old and, by his trainer’s own admission, has been a real work-in progress project. The son of Bacardi Lindy only started racing earlier in 2020 and produced a string of promising performances behind some handy horses before a short mid-year let up.
Resuming on Friday, Scootin Around was sent out an odds-on favourite and was given plenty of time to balance up in the early part of the event by driver Zac Phillips. The gelding peeled three-wide leaving the back straight and quickly ran to the lead on straightening and looked set for a decisive victory. However no sooner had he dashed clear, Scootin Around Then started to star gaze and knock off allowing Abitofadreamer to get within a head of the winner on the line.
“Zac said he was going to win easily but he probably got to the front a little bit early and wanted to pull up. But the post came up in time and that’s all that mattered,” a relieved Stratford said after the race.
“I just want to say a massive thankyou to my owners for being so patient with him and hopefully he’ll continue to repay us now.”
Later in the day Dansbro made a welcome return to the winner’s circle for fellow Cranbourne Training Centre trainer Rick Cashman in the Benstid Standardbreds Pace.
The seven-year-old hadn’t won sine June 2019 but Cashman gave a clue to an improved showing when interviewed on Trots Vision minutes before the race.
“His last couple of runs have given me a reason to trust in him again going into this race and I think he will be thereabouts at the finish,” Cashman told trackside host Rob Auber.
“Today is the first time in a long while when we are drawn to lead of get a trail behind the leader and that gives him a good chance.”
Those punters who were tuned to Trots Vision and took heed of Cashman’s words were well rewarded with Dansbro enjoying a perfect trailing run before spearing through late in the sprint-lane to record victory at a fixed-odds starting price of more than $25.
Dansbro will potentially have his next start at the upcoming Cranbourne race meeting on Sunday 4th October.
By David Scott
Photo: Stuart McCormick Photography