Cup win extends birthday celebrations

PROMINENT trainer Joe Pace received a belated birthday present last night.

Celebrating another trip around the sun the day before, Pace captured the Elmore Pacing Cup in Bendigo with handy stallion Twisting By.

Adding to the occasion, Twisting By was driven by Pace’s son, Adrian.

“I had a nice birthday the day before, but winning the Cup certainly kept the celebrations going,” Pace said. “Having Adrian driving a winner for me at any time of the year is a celebration.”

Restrained at the start from barrier 11, Twisting By was settled at the tail of the field as Hoorah Philtra led from barrier three.

Angled three-wide without cover at the bell, Twisting By sustained a strong run to score by a metre-and-a-half from Do It, with Hugo Rocks three metres away third.

“I felt he had a pretty good chance as he has been going well,” Adrian said. “The draw had the potential to be tricky, but it worked out well in the end.”

Earlier on the card Bennie And The Jets secured his second country cup by claiming the trotters’ edition.

With Leigh Sutton in the cart, Bennie And The Jets rated 2:01.6 over 2150 metres as Charleston Avenue and Thunda Struck filled the placings.

Prepared by Adam Rudd, the son of Quaker Jet was triumphant in the Cobram Trotters’ Cup two starts ago.

In between Bennie And The Jets was third in the Bendigo Trotters’ Cup.