Pacing
LEO Wallrodt completed a fantastic season round by driving a double at the annual Busselton Trotting Club’s final meeting of the season last Friday.
Leo started the night well by jumping Johnny Diamond to the front from his inside barrier in the first event.
He rated a steady pace and held out the favourite Ballas Arockstar to score a narrow but convincing win.
His owners, Karen and Leo Wallrodt and Anthony and Debbie Peake have waited a while for this pacer’s first success after several close finishes in recent weeks. They are looking forward to him racing on his home track in coming weeks.
Later in the program Leo drove the Kym Neal-trained Touch of Benlo to another all the way win in the main event of the night.
Starting a short-priced favourite the consistent front-runner held out his fast-finishing stablemate Sovereign Jet in another rib-tickling finish.
In the next event Atomic Silk ran a solid third for Leo behind the tear-away leader Princess Tenille and the Errol Ashcroft trained and driven Littlemissbriza.
Ashcroft also steered last week’s winner Shattering Roxey to a handy fourth earlier in the night.
In the final event for the Busselton season, the Peter Szolkowski trained Disco Belle — driven by Trent Wheeler — showed her toughness and liking for standing start events by coming off a 20-metre handicap.
She rushed around the field into the breeze and came away with a narrow but convincing win.
Her dividend of $3.20 was good value.
Earlier in the week Trent drove Pandemic to a close fourth off a 60-metre handicap in Narrogin.
The winner of the event was the Beryl Ashcroft-owned Class Blaster, who came with a well-timed run for trainer Martin Ashcroft of Harvey at the lucrative of odds of 20/1.
Also at Narrogin, David Hunter ran third with the Graeme Justins-owned Heza Trojan.
Meetings this weekend include Albany on Friday, Bunbury Saturday and Williams on Sunday.
Tuesday, February 9 ,will be the South West Derby run at Harvey.
This $7500 event is for South West-trained and driven three-year-olds who can qualify for the Country Derby later next month at Gloucester Park.
Collie then starts its season the following Sunday with the running of the $5000 Caltex King Coal Cup.