Mr Consistency breaks through

HANDY pacer Blazin Cracker was rewarded for his consistency at Yarra Valley yesterday.

Among the placings at 50 per cent of his starts this season, including finishing third at his four previous outings, Blazin Cracker registered an overdue win for trainer Stephen Cleave.

Blazin Cracker’s victory was also a milestone occasion for his the majority of his owners who have ‘cut their teeth’ in harness racing with the gelding.

For one of his part-owners, Joanne Salter, the win was her first since Electime scored in Echuca on the same date 28 years ago!

Electime was Salter’s previous stint as an owner.

“It’s been a long time coming, but he finally got there,” Cleave said. “He’s been Mr Consistency since we got him and it was only a matter of time before he got the win on the board.

“With a bit of luck he can get a few more soon.

“We’ve got a great group of owners in him, many of which are first timers in the sport.

“Even more incredible, most of them haven’t even had a chance to see him in the flesh as we bought him right as the Covid-19 pandemic struck and restrictions set in.

“Everyone is enjoying the thrill with him, but it will terrific when they can all get down to the track to watch him race.”

With Cleave in the cart, Blazin Cracker was eased towards the tail of the field from barrier seven as Chief Safari led from gate two.

Angled three-wide during the middle stages, the son of Pet Rock gained the ideal one-one trail at the bell as Rollonby was taken to the ‘death seat’.

Taken back to the pegs around the final bend, Blazin Cracker finished stoutly along the sprint lane to score by a head from Chief Safari, with Village Skipper two-and-a-half metres away third in 2:00 over 2150 metres.

“I used pretty much every inch of the track, but he got there,” Cleave said. “I’m more than happy with the way he went.

“We haven’t got any big plans for him, just find the right races and see how he goes.”