Sport
6 March, 2026
90 pacing towards spot in Running of the Bulls
Friday night’s Ararat Cup proved one of the most competitive lead-ups. Mount Wallace pacer Ata Rangi, driven confidently by Kyle Marshall, found the front early and defied a sustained challenge from $1.80 favourite Meteor Moth.
WITH connections of four-year-old and older pacers NR up to 90 pacers jostling for attention ahead of the weekend’s Running of the Bulls at Birchip, several stables made timely statements across a busy week of Victorian harness racing.
Friday night’s Ararat Cup proved one of the most competitive lead-ups. Mount Wallace pacer Ata Rangi, driven confidently by Kyle Marshall, found the front early and defied a sustained challenge from $1.80 favourite Meteor Moth.
After enduring a torrid run, the favourite weakened from the 400m and faded to sixth, beaten 8.3 metres.
Storm activity halted Tuesday’s Shepparton meeting after just one race. The sole completed event was taken out by the John Tormey-trained Eastbro Jesse, driven by Jack Laugher. The ten-year-old gelding posted a new lifetime best of 1:54.8 over 1690m.
Racing returned to Maryborough on Wednesday where the Navarre stable of Ada Massa and Toby Ainsworth continued its strong form.
Their eight-year-old mare Beautiful Sunrise, fresh from the protest drama at Charlton, scored again — her sixth win and eleventh placing from 22 starts for the stable.
Thursday night at Kilmore, Shudaboughtaboat rewarded Denis and Elise McIntyre’s trip with a breakthrough victory, winning his maiden front at his fifth Australian start.
Driven by Mick Bellman, the Raging Bull five-year-old saluted as the $1.10 favourite.
The runner-up Sweet Face remains winless after 98 starts but with a recent third and now a second, a long-awaited maiden success appears very close.
Boort’s annual nine-race program on Sunday was expertly managed under trying weather. The only hiccup came post-meeting, when a hectic float-park kept the tractor driver extremely busy.
The day’s final race was won by the heavily supported local specialist Tension Seeker, who led throughout to score by 12.4m.
The 13-year-old mare has now completed a remarkable treble at the once-a-year Boort meeting, with wins in 2024, 2025 and 2026 for trainer-driver Scott Torney.
The Boort Cup went to St Arnaud Cup winner Dhaulagiri, who remains an 89-rated horse under last week’s ratings freeze for those seeking a Birchip slot.
Concerning news emerged late in the weekend, with champion reinsman James Herbertson admitted to Sunshine Hospital after experiencing difficulty walking for several days.
Herbertson had nonetheless won Friday’s Newcastle Mile aboard Bulletproof Boy, securing the veteran’s automatic entry into the Miracle Mile on March 14. Should Herbertson recover in time, it would mark his first drive in the iconic event.
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