Shrewd purchase captures second cup

HANDY squaregaiter Meadow Valley Star is proving to be a shrewd purchase.

Having his fourth start for Mount Gambier-based trainer Matthew Horsnell and clients today, Meadow Valley Star secured the Kapunda Trotters’ Cup.

On January 11, the gelding gave the crew an instant reward by capturing the Hamilton Trotters’ Cup.

Meadow Valley Star also finished second in the Wedderburn Trotters’ Cup on January 25.

Naturally thrilled with the seven-year-old’s performances, Horsnell and company will continue to follow the country cup circuit in coming weeks.

“The plan is to follow the pacing circuit with Dhaulagiri, so having a travelling companion for him was the idea,” Horsnell said. “As such, I was looking for a country cups type trotter and he has worked out perfectly so far.

“You can’t ask for more than to win a cup first-up, then a second cup win in four starts!

“He’ll keep racing along in the cups for now, but the handicaps will make it harder.”

The sole runner on the 30-metre mark, Meadow Valley Star was driven to perfection by Wayne Hill, who settled the son of Creatine three-back along the pegs – albeit 40 metres from the leader, Kyvalley Heist.

Catching the front three at the bell, Meadow Valley Star was taken three-wide before dashing to the front along the back straight.

With Hill sitting quietly in the cart, Meadow Valley Star sprinted to a 21-and-a-half metre win from Kyvalley Heist.

Wishing Star, which trailed the pacemaker, was 16-and-a-half metres away third as the winner rated 2:02.8 over 2619 metres.

Less than an hour later, Horsnell and Hill completed a clean sweep of the club’s flagship events when Dhaulagiri proved too slick in the Pacing Cup.

Leading throughout from the pole, Dhaulagiri scored by two-and-a-half metres from Artillery, with Bellezza Nera two metres away third.

Fresh from his Boort Cup triumph last weekend, the son of American Ideal rated 2:01 over 2610 metres.

Like Meadow Valley Star, Dhaulagiri will continue to follow the cups trial, with Strathalbyn’s majors in a fortnight the likely targets.