Talented mare shoots to top of pacer standings

Rising four-year-old Milliondollahanova claimed her third win of the Albany Harness Racing Club season on Friday night to jump to the top of the AHRC pacer of the year standings.

After wins at Harold Reid Paceway on January 20 and February 16, Milliondollahanova started a warm $2.60 favourite in the J&S Castlehow Electrical Pace (1828m) from gate six on the frontline.

Driver Ashleigh Markham fired the mare out of the mobile and straight to the lead, where they dictated terms and held off the fast-finishing Bountiful Reactor ($5 chance) in the closing stages to win by a head.

It was the third win Milliondollahanova has scored this season in Albany for Busselton trainer Michael Callegari, with the mare jumping to 12 points in the leading club pacer standings to join Im Zuleika and Crimson Floyd, who are both on 12 as well.

Markham drove a double on the eight-race card after earlier guiding Just Barney to victory in the Brian Bail Memorial Pace (2258m) for Narrogin trainer Jeremy Thornton.

Reinsman Shane Butterworth also recorded a winning double after victories with Secret Delight in race 2 and Amity Piere in race 8.

Trainer-driver Aldo Cortopassi proved too strong in the $8500 Trevors Carpets Discretionary Handicap (2242m) with A Bit Ruthless, who raced clear on the final lap to win by 8.8m at the finish.

Concession driver Madeleine Young is five points clear at the top of the AHRC Drivers’ Premiership after scoring victory with Mister Rollins at the meeting to go with two other minor placings in the sulky.

Leading Albany trainer Matthew Saw broke through with Athabascan who scored his first win since November last year, downing favourite Dredlock Rockstar by 1.3m in a busy finish to the Albany Signs Pace (2258m).

Saw is a comfortable leader of the AHRC Trainers’ Premiership with two meetings remaining.