BOOM squaregaiter Keystone Del tops the bill for the group 2 $30,000 John Slack Memorial Trotters’ Cup, 2200m, in Ballarat on Saturday night.
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The NSW six-year-old has been a sensation since arriving from New Zealand in late 2012.
Keystone Del is a four-time group 1 winner in Australia, including this season’s $300,000 Great Southern Star at Melton on March 22.
His latest wins have been in the group 2 $30,000 Cranbourne Trotters’ Cup and a group 3 $25,000 free-for-all over the sprint distance of 1609m at Menangle on Saturday night.
Keystone Del will line up alongside the in-form David Aiken-trained pair of Spidergirl and US-bred Cold Sister, and Brunelleschi in a small but elite field of six.
The 10-race program at Bray Raceway also features the inaugural running of the $20,000 Hertz 2yo Rising Star and two heats of a young drivers’ challenge.
BUT Ler Raine was more than a handy pacing racemare.
She won eight races and was placed 25 times in 62 starts for $43,000 in stakes in the 1990s.
That was only the start for But Ler Raine.
She has since produced seven winners from eight foals to race for Ballarat standardbred breeder and owner John Vagg.
Its Raining ($2 favourite) became the seventh winner out of But Ler Rain at Melton harness races on Thursday.
The It Is I four-year-old, which is trained by Ashleigh Herbertson at Burrumbeet, broke through at her 17th start in a 4yo/older pace, 1720m.
But Ler Raine’s other winning progeny has been Jay Vee Rowan (9 wins), Rowan Lass (7), Vapar Raine (6), Bring The Brolly (3), Vapar Bliss (2) and Rowan Sue (1).
LOVELIST ($1.30 favourite) stretched her unbeaten run to three with a frontrunning win in the group 2 $50,000 Vicbred Platinum Home Grown Classic for 2yo fillies final, 1720m, at Melton on Friday night.
Lovelist is a half-sister to five winners, including Royal Crime (13 wins), Secret Life (11), Don Alvaro (6), and Punch Line (3), which saluted for Smythes Creek trainer Emma Stewart in a BOTRA 3yo fillies’ heat in Adelaide on Saturday night.
Meanwhile, Stewart stable star Restrepo returns to racing in the group 2 $50,000 4yo and 5yo Championship, 2240m, at Melton on Friday night.
Restrepo has not raced since a fifth in the Inter-Dominion Pacing Championship final at Menangle in March.
He clashes with the likes of the Michael Barby-trained It Is Billy.
SMYTHES Creek trainer Greg Moy’s decision to send two pacers to South Australia is proving a boon for the Murray Bridge stable of Alan Cronin.
Cronin scored a double with the exports at Globe Derby Park on Monday.
My Burning Desire ($1.70 favourite) took out an R1-R2 pace, 2230m, and Trysomemagic ($1.90 favourite) saluted in an R3-R5 pace, 1800m.
david.brehaut@fairfaxmedia.com.au