Aldebaran Dexta successful in Gawlers Hambletonian Trotters Cup
Trainer-driver Ryan Hryhorec can take the credit for Aldebaran Dexta’s win in Monday’s 2026 Podiatry Care Gawler Hambletonian Trotters Cup (2550m).
Hryhorec, who trains at Two Wells, picked Aldebaran Dexta from a paddock of 30 yearlings at Aldebaran Park in Victoria as the horse he wanted to train.
“Duncan McPherson has been a fantastic stable client and one day when I was at his stud he asked me to pick a yearling to bring home,” Hryhorec said.
“I liked Dexta as a type, and his half-brother Aldebaran Pete was a promising horse when he was young.
“Dexta can be a challenge, but he has taken his stakes past $100,000 with today’s win and that is a big effort as the majority of his starts have been in South Australia.”
Aldebaran Dexta ($3.70) sat parked for a fair part of the race but was too strong scoring a three-metre win from All The Trix ($8) with Is That A Bid ($2.60 fav), a stablemate of the winner, 2-1/2 metres away third.
It was the seven-year-old’s 21st win from 61 starts.
Aldebaran Dexta began safely off his 20-metre handicap and settled third before Hryhorec took him outside the lead with just over as lap to go.
Danielle Hill, on Is That A Bid, opted to trail Hryhorec over the last lap but could not catch the winner.
It was left to All The Trix, trained by Claire Goble and driven by David Smith, to run on strongly and snatch second.
Aldebaran Dexta’s win was the third training success in the Hambletonian for Hryhorec in the past five years having scored with C K Spur (2022) and Regal Attire (2025).
As a driver, it was a fourth win for Hryhorec having landed C K Spur (2022), Rejuvenation (2015) and Stefanys Handshake (2007).
Angle Vale trainer-driver Dean Girardi is having an excellent season and produced a brilliant drive to land Hayoak the winner of the Phil Houston Memorial Trotters Mobile (2070m).
Coming from a back row draw, Girardi opted to stay inside and sprinted home strongly with Hayoak ($6) to score by three metres from Mojito Madness ($9.50) with Cadence Lane ($3.90), a half-metre away third.
Owned and bred by Peter Cluse, Hayoak notched her 11th and took her stakes past $60,000 with the victory.
Girardi’s strong season sees him sit second on the SA Trainer’s premiership, and he is also fifth on the Driver’s premiership.
A decision to keep mare Perfect Playgirl proved a good decision by Angle Vale trainer Tayla Warren.
At Gawler, Perfect Playgirl ($3.80), driven by Wayne Hill, led throughout from gate five to win the Lyndoch Motors Pace (1609m).
The four-year-old mare won by 7-1/2 metres from The Game ($34) with Meet Me At The Beach ($6.50) running on well for third, beaten by the same margin.
Warren said she had strongly considered selling Perfect Playgirl.
“I didn’t pay a lot for her, and she won first up for me at Globe Derby Park in November,” Warren said.
“She finished down the line at her next run and went for a break, and the plan was to put her on the market.
“But after a spell, she really picked up her trackwork, so I decided to keep her.
“Wayne (Hill) rated her perfectly today and she won well. Hopefully, there are more wins in store.
- story Graham Fischer
- photo Walter Bulyga