It was nearly a good bet to happen but it took a little longer than expected.
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Corey O’Donoghue always knew at some stage of his life he probably would be working with standardbreds for a living.
After all his father Steve is a prominent Shepparton trainer and his mother Ann came from a family of harness trainers and enthusiasts.
But Corey’s first fully paid job wasn’t mucking out the stables for his dad but as a refrigeration mechanic.
That was up to two years ago when he decided to get into the trots industry that he always had a keen interest in.
He got a job with leading trainer-driver Lisa Miles, a position that lasted several months which involved some valuable learning lessons and another tick in his progression in the industry.
Then his journey took him back to Shepparton and his father’s training establishment on the banks of the Goulburn River at Kialla.
Now 25, Corey made his debut as a driver at Bendigo on December 22, finishing third on Jacksboy.
This was followed by a drive with Herehecomes at Kilmore which was unplaced before heading to Melton.
Then it was off to Melton last Friday night when Jacksboy provided him with his first win as a reinsman.
And it was special win in more ways than one.
Driven a patient race four back in the running line, Corey unleashed Jacksboy 600m from the judge, demolishing his rivals and beating the second horse, Caruso, home by 22m.
The added joy of the win is that Corey does the training work with Jacksboy and he made the the trip with the pacer to the track by himself.
Like Corey, Jacksboy has also been a late starter and is a seven-year-old by Art Major who has now won three of only 16 lifetime starts.
And to make the win even more memorable Jacksboy rated a 1.57.3 PB.
Certainly a day and night to remember to remember for Corey.
Connor’s Melton success
Shepparton trainer-driver Connor Crook gave another reminder of his training skills when he produced pacer Fynn Frost for a stirring win at last Friday night’s Melton meeting.
Crook brought the Always A Virgin eight-year-old gelding from second last over the last 400m to swamp his rivals at odds of 30/1 on the tote.
Fynn Frost is no stranger to winning, having scored at Shepparton two starts previously and boasting 17 wins and 20 placings in 97 career starts, which have earned him $163,000 in stakemoney earnings.
Crook has had the veteran pacer only for his last eight starts and has now won three races with him in those outings, having scored his first win for him at Wagga last October when having his second start for the stable.
Sensational Serg
An aggressive Ryan Duffy drive landed Serg Blanco a big winner at last Saturday night’s Ballarat Cup meeting.
Duffy sent the five-year-old son of Bettors Delight to the front-running position early from barrier six and then produced at the business end to leave his rivals in his wake with a dominant display.
It was Serg Blanco’s third win in 12 starts for trainer Steve Duffy’s stable and there have been six minor placings.
Given two starts earlier he had run second to Curly James in the Cobram Pacing Cup he paid a handsome $5 for the win.
Close call
Goulburn Valley reinsmen couldn’t quite bring off a win in the $150,000 Ballarat Pacing Cup, but filled two of the first four placings.
David Moran brought the Emma Stewart-trained Honolua Bay from last to second with a sweeping run to finish second behind the winner, the Kiwi Copy That, while Mark Pitt finished fourth on another of the Stewart team, Mach Dan.
Copy That, who claimed the Ballarat Cup, has a Goulburn Valley connection with his sire American Ideal standing at the Northern Rivers Stud at Kyabram.
Yoee beauty
Trotter Yoee’s win at the Cobram meeting last Friday topped another good week for district trainers and owners.
The four-year-old son of Bacardi Lindy was stepping out for the first time for new trainers Bec Bartley and Steve O’Donoghue, and after sitting three back on the outside sustained a strong finishing burst over the final 400m to account for the Laura Crossland-trained and driven Aristotle with the favourite and pacemaker Lettuce Trot third for Russell and Nathan Jack in a district trifecta.
Bred by Kyabram Football Club premiership coach Peter Lyon and friend Dave Newman, father of Kyabram sporting great Paul, Yoee is owned by John O’Brien.
John has been a staunch trots stalwart of many years who once owned the Stanhope property now in the hands of Mark Pitt and Lisa Bartley and the resting place of the great pacer Mount Eden, the 1971 Miracle Mile winner.
In 17 starts prior to his latest win, Yoee was prepared by Lancaster horsewoman Carmel Belot on lease from O’Brien and scored at his fourth race start for her at Kilmore in March last year.
With Belot needing hip surgery O’Brien then entrusted the Bartley-O’Donoghue team to take over Yoee’s training.
Certainly the new trainers are going to have a big challenge keeping up their strike rate with Yoee.
She’s a good lady
Pacing mare Presidentslastlady returned to the winners’ list at Cobram for Congupna trainer Mark Lee and reinswoman Stacey Towers.
The seven-year-old daughter of Auckland Reactor made it two wins in her last five starts on the Cobram track with a well-judged Towers drive, comfortably beating the John Newberry-trained and Matt Newberry-driven Shez Elite and the Donna Castles-driven Lils Nightmare.
Presidentslastlady has swapped racing campaigns between NSW, when Stacey’s mother Kerry takes the training reins, and Victoria when Mark Lee puts on the polish.
Presidentslastlady has now had the 67 starts for six wins and 17 minor placings for $47,000 in stakemoney earnings so has paid her way.
Drought-breaker
Shepparton reinsman Lee Sutton hit the ground running at the Cobram meeting.
Sutton was aboard the Chiltern-prepared Sonic Express in the opening race and made every post a winner, taking the lead early before handing up and then ducking up the sprint lane to score his maiden win at his 26th try.
But there had been eight minor placings in those outings, so it was just a matter of time before he broke his duck and those who stuck with him were rewarded as he paid $8 for the win.
Sutton also drove the Steve Duffy-trained Wemade Freo and the Russell Jack-prepared Will He Pike into second placings at the meeting so wasn’t far away from a really big day in the sulky.
Three seconds
Bunbartha horseman John Newberry chalked up a hat-trick at the Cobram meeting.
Not with wins but with second placings.
The Newberry-trained Diamond Eclipse, Shez Elite and Feeling Enerjetic all chased home the winner in their respective races.
John partnered Diamond Eclipse and Feeling Enerjetic in their races while his son Matt drove Shez Elite.
The second-placed cheques totalled $2800 in prizemoney earnings for the Newberrys, who own and race the three pacers, and although it could have been a lot more lucrative it was still a good day’s work.
Gary all smiles
Stanhope horseman Gary Pekin continued a hot recent spell with another nice-priced winner at the Cobram meeting.
Pekin brought the 16/1 chance Harnett with a well-timed run in a busy finish to nab the pacesetter and favourite Fly Like An Angel at the finishing line.
A four-year-old Pet Rock mare, it was Harnett’s second win from 30 tries with the only other win achieved at Albury in September of last year.
And it was a satisfying win in more ways than one as Pekin and his wife Jane own the pacer.
Pekin had produced another of his team Cresco Threepeat for a win at Kilmore the previous week at nice odds so is on good terms with himself at present.
Kilmore success
District horsemen enjoyed their share of success at Wednesday’s Kilmore meeting.
Avenel trainer David Aiken scored with trotter Twixten, Craig Turnbull got the money with My Sweet Sabrina, Col Godden was successful with Art On Fire and Keith Cotchin was successful with smart mare Sassiness.
David Aiken scored a satisfying result with Twixten, driving the six-year-old gelding to his second career win in nine starts.
Aiken has a strong connection to Twixten who is out of the top race mare Cold Sister, whom he won 19 races with, and who was bred by his wife, Colleen.
Having only her eighth start, My Sweet Sabrina, driven by the trainer’s daughter Abbey, was most impressive racing in the death seat early and then running down the pacemaker Mahindi at the finishing post in 1.54.0 mile rate time for the 1690m trip.
Nanneella trainer Col Godden scored with Art On Fire, who was given the run of the race by reinsman Josh Duggan and staved off several challengers over the concluding stages.
Art On Fire was having just his second start in Australia after winning once and being placed three times in five outings in New Zealand before joining the Godden stables.
He had run second in his Aussie debut on the same track the previous week and those punters who stuck with him were rewarded with odds of 10/1.
Four-year-old pacer mare Sassiness broke back into the winners’ list for Elmore trainer Keith Cotchin, edging out the Tongala-prepared outsider Trumpys Legend by a head.
Sassiness, driven by Ryan Duffy, had not ha a win for 12 starts but had form going into the race and punters jumped on and sent her out an even money favourite.
She now has a career record of two wins and six placings from 17 starts.
The week ahead
Shepparton Harness Racing Club stages two meetings over the next week with a meeting tonight and again next Thursday night.
Meetings coming up:
Today: Shepparton (n)
Saturday: Melton (n)
Sunday: Geelong (d)
Monday: Wedderburn at Maryborough (d), Mildura (n)
Tuesday: Geelong (n)
Wednesday: Horsham (d), Bendigo (n)
Thursday: Yarra Valley (d), Shepparton (n)
Friday: Melton (n)
Sports reporter