Gawler proves a happy hunting ground for Wayne Hill

It was all about the numbers for reinsman Wayne Hill and trainer Aaron Bain at Sunday’s Gawler Harness Racing Club meeting.

Hill drove a career-equalling best six winners while Bain took four horses to the meeting and came away with four of a kind.

Those wins saw Hill reach 100 winners in South Australia in 2024 and shoot to the lead in the SA Driver’s premiership while Bain’s four took him to the lead in the SA Trainer’s premiership, an award he won last year.

Hill and Bain combined to score with Shezamajorstar ($2.70 fav) in the Two Wells Bakery Pace (1609m), Princess Chilla ($5.50) in the D F & E Kemp & Son Pace (2070m) and the star Wings On The Line ($1.75 fav) in the 1800-Got-Junk? Pace (2070m).

Muscle Miss ($3.10 fav) in the Lyndoch Motors Trotters Mobile (2070m), Mercury Rising ($9.50) in the Angle Vale Hardware Fodder & Landscaping Pace (16509m) and Majestic Courtney ($6.50) in the Podiatry Care Gawler Trotters Handicap (2250m) completed Hill’s six wins.

Im Themightylucy ($2.80 into $1.80 fav) in the Lowe Farms Farmgate Fodder Pace (1609m) was the fourth winner for Bain.

Those wins marked a huge weekend for Bain, who in his horse racing training partnership with Ned Taylor, produced Hollywood High as their first runner from the historic Angaston Park facility to win at Murray Bridge on Saturday.

Hill admitted the six-pack came as a surprise.

“I wasn’t happy with the recent few weeks, and while I thought I had some good drives today, to finish with six is a shock,” Hill said.

It is the third time Hill has driven six winners at a meeting.

His first was at Victor Harbor on December 28, 2105, and at that time he equalled the Australian record for most winners at a meeting, but that record now stands at nine recorded by Mark Pitt at Launceston in Tasmania on April 16, 2022.

Hill drove six winners at Port Pirie on June 9 this year.

At the completion of the Gawler meeting, Hill tallied 100 winners for the year to take a one-win lead over Ryan Hryhorec, currently sidelined until September.

Bain’s four gives him 52 for the season, and he now has a two-win lead over Hryhorec on the trainer’s premiership.

He also part-owns Mercury Rising which is trained at Gawler by Jason Booth.

Hill’s fiancée, Samantha Pascoe came away with a double winning on Im Themightylucy and Told You Twice ($3.10 fav) for Angle Vale trainer Tayla Warren in the Ladbrokes Easy Form Pace (2070m). Warren supplied the quinella with Mohs Em Down grabbing second.

Wings On The Line and Im Themightylucy, two of the most impressive winners at Gawler, will now head to Melton on Saturday week for suitable races.

“They have earned the chance to go interstate for a run,” Bain said.

“They were both sharp at Gawler and the trip to Melton is a chance to improve their records.”

Wings On The Line made it seven wins in a row with her victory at Gawler but she had to earn it.

After settling midfield in the running line, Hill opted to go forward with a lap and a half to go but rival driver Ryan Backhouse on Go Away Again ($2.90) came out in front of him pushing Wings On The Line four wide.

Go Away Again grabbed the spot outside the leader hoping to keep Hill three wide, but with a great drive, he was able to ease the three-year-old filly in to take the one-out, one-back position.

Wings On The Line sprinted well over the final 400 metres to win comfortably by six metres rating an excellent 1:57.2.

Im Themightylucy settled eighth in the running line in her event and Pascoe waited until the final 400 metres before asking her to sprint and the mare rounded up her rivals to win easily by five metres with a mile rate of 1:56.1.

Globe Derby Park trainer Luke O’Neill landed a double with Majestic Courtney and Muscle Miss, the latter breaking her own track record.

Leading throughout, Muscle Miss recorded 2:00.4 which took :01 off her previous best.

Angle Vale trainer-driver Dean Girardi landed as well-deserved win with Hayoak in the SA BOTRA Trotters Mobile (2070m).

Before Sunday, Hayoak had recorded five seconds and two thirds from her 12 starts this preparation.

“I had thought of giving her a break, but she worked so well this week I had to give her a run and she finally got the win,” Girardi said.

Sent out the $1.95 favourite, the four-year-old mare proved too strong up the home straight winning by 3-1/2 metres, rating 2:04.1.

Victorian visitor American Boxer was heavily backed from $2.50 into $1.60 favourite in the Angle Vale Hardware Fodder & Landscaping Pace (1609m) and when the three-year-old found the front his backers would have been happy.

But he was found wanting in the home straight with Mercury Rising ($9.50) sitting outside him and drawing clear to win by a neck from Places You Don’t ($8) with American Boxer a metre away third.

The winner has now won three races this season for trainer Jason Booth.

“He tends to switch off is he is by himself,” Booth said.

“Sitting parked is his best spot because he has horses on his inside, then ones challenging on his outside, so he fights on.

“He is a great money spinner because if he doesn’t win, he runs a place.”

The next Gawler meeting is on Monday, August 12.

Story: HRSA MEDIA