BALLARAT’S Lightning Mile, will link up with two other feature sprint events in Victoria as a lead up to the iconic Miracle Mile in Sydney.
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The third edition of the Laser Electrical Lightning Mile, 1609m, will be on Friday, October 3.
This will lead into the Popular Alm Sprint at Kilmore and The Legends at Melton.
Ballarat and District Trotting Club chief executive officer Paul Rowse said while none of the three events guaranteed winners a Miracle Mile start, they provided an ideal build up for horses being aimed at Sydney.
Blucolla Tigerpie won the inaugural Lightning in 1:55.6 in March last year.
Smoken Up then ran a track record 1:53.1 to win on Boxing Day to earn a $10,000 speed bonus in the $30,000 event.
The BDTC is yet to finalise stakemoney for its feature races next season.
The new date for the Lightning Mile is part of a new-look racing calendar for the BDTC, which will again feature 35 race meeting in 2014-15.
The biggest change is the shift of the Petstock Ballarat Pacing Cup from late January to Saturday, December 13, which was announced early this week.
Harness Racing Victoria has made the dramatic move to allowed the Victoria Cup to switch from the December timeslot to late January – a week before the AG Hunter Cup - to form a new-look Nights of Glory Carnival.
The Ballarat Pacing Cup will be the linchpin in a bumper December of racing at Bray Raceway, with the Eureka Cup and Snowball Series final also featured.
The BDTC will also introduce a new two-year-old feature race in May next year.
Race dates:
Wednesday, July 2; Thursday, July 17; Saturday, July 26
Friday, August 1; Sunday, August 10 (twilight); Saturday, August 16 (Australasian Breeders Crown semi-finals); Tuesday, August 26
Tuesday, September 2; Tuesday, September 16
Friday, October 3 (Lightning Mile); Thursday, October 30
Saturday, November 8; Friday, November 28
Thursday, December 4 (Eureka Cup); Saturday, December 13 (Ballarat Pacing Cup); Friday, December 26 (Snowball Series final)
Saturday, January 10; Tuesday, January 20; Friday, January 30
Friday, February 13 (Tontine Pacers Series Final); Sunday, February 22 (twilight)
Wednesday, March 4 (day); Wednesday, March 11; Thursday, March 26
Thursday, April 2; Thursday, April 23; Thursday, April 30
Wednesday, May 6; Sunday, May 17 (twilight); Friday, May 22 (Holloway 3yo Classic); Saturday, May 30 (John Slack Memorial Trotters’ Cup and 2yo feature)
Thursday, June 4; Wednesday, June 10; Tuesday, June 16; Thursday, June 25
BETTOR EFFORT BY 3YO FILLY
BETTOR Dowunder might be on an oaks course after a classy victory in the McCallum 3yo Pace, 2200m, at Ballarat harness races on Wednesday night.
After failing to get away smoothly at her only previous two starts, Bettor Downunder ($2.70 favourite) was on her best behaviour as she landed the money for Ross Creek trainer Steve Loftus.
Reinsman Nathan Jack had no hesitation is taking the filly to the deathseat.
She then outstayed her rivals, running away by more than eight metres in a mile rate of 1:59.6.
By Bettors Delight, Bettor Downunder was bred by the Ronan family and is the first winner out of former handy racemare Treble Trebla.
Trebla Trebla won 12 races for almost $85,000, with five of he successes being at Bray Raceway.
She was one of seven winners left by prolific producing mate Norwood Topsie.
IMA Little Tycoon ($8.70) continued the successful association between Burrumbeet trainer Ashleigh Herbertson and Queensland’s Burrows family by scoring in a heat of the Eureka Series, 2200m.
Herbertson, who spent an extended time in Queensland, has prepared numerous winners for the Burrows.
Ima Little Tycoon was having just his third Victorian start.
The four-year-old had just three starts in Queensland and before joining the Herbertson team had not raced since October, 2012.
The gelding is the first winner out of New Zealand-bred mare Armbro Magic, which won five races.
LOTSA Life ($1.60 favourite) continued his fine form with an all-the-way victory in a C1 pace, 1710m, in Ballarat on Wednesday night.
He held out Ithappenstbeametro ($3.30) to bring up his sixth career win in 21 starts.
Trained by Basil Dooley at Allendale, Lotsalife has only missed a top three finish once in his latest 10 starts, which feature four wins.