Quinlan Scores Training Double
Popular harness racing trainer Garry Quinlan made another successful trip from his Drouin stables to Cranbourne to score a double at the club’s meeting on Thursday night.
Quinlan, who regularly features amongst the leading trainers at the venue each season, got the ball rolling with the win of New Zealand bred gelding First Shilling in the HyGain Feeds Pace. The son of Homes Hanover and Have A Go Franco was given the run of the race behind the leader by driver Daryl Douglas and finished strongly in the sprint lane to down race favourite Ultimate Escape and Darcy Tee. Raced by the Fusinato family of Warragul, First Shilling has been steadily improving with racing and is developing a consistent form line with his last 10 starts yielding 3 wins and 4 placings.
Classy mare Sahara Miss brought up the second leg of Quinlan’s double with a stirring win over Meetthenewboss in the feature race on the program, the Cranbourne Trainers Bonanza Pace.
Coming off a last start Melton victory in a career best 1:54:4 mile rate, Sahara Miss settled down in the coveted one out and one back trail before moving wide on the track to challenge Meethenewboss turning for home. The two were locked together for all but the last few meters of Cranbourne’s long home straight with Sahara Miss prevailing by a half neck on the line with some distance back to Mister Orion in third place.
Thursday’s victory, the mare’s 13th from 75 lifetime starts, has her owners Bruce Paul and Peter Watkinson now weighing up whether to go ahead with their plans to retire Sahara Miss to stud this season or to continue her racing career.
