LOLA Weidemann reckoned her mother, Marion Weidemann, would be tickled pink after Mac Sweet won Thursday’s Thanking All 2014/15 Sponsors Ladyship Pace (1609m) at Tamworth.
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Lola and the three-year-old filly by Mach Three had led all the way to bat Artistica Uno (Peter Hedges) by 2m.
The latter had finished stoutly but gave the Queenslanders too much start.
It was Mac Sweet’s second win at Tamworth in four starts and fourth career win in 18 starts.
“She went real well again,”‘ Weidemann told on-course interviewer Mark Lowe.
“That was good for mum and dad. She’s their horse. Mum would be tickled pink.”
Marion lost her husband (Ron) earlier this year, making it a nostalgic victory.
It also took Lola within two wins of Tamworth driver Tom Ison on the final day of the pacing season.
And while that was as close as she got, Anthony Varga took up the running for the drivers’ title.
He had started the meeting a win in front of Weidemann but a win behind Ison, and then won the very next race after Weidemann’s success for her mum when No Confession bolted in.
Varga elected to “go early” at the 600m and the move paid off with No Confession spearing away to a big 23.5m win.
“I didn’t want to go too early but Tommy was so I got out early and he kept going,” Varga said.
The double warm-up, after Dreamshaker had fallen early in the first attempt to run the race, had proven a godsend for No Confession in the race replay.
“We might have to do that more often,” Varga said in regard to warming up No Confession.
As far as the premiership went it was “race on”.
“We’re equal now,” Varga said.
“Either way though, whoever wins, good on ’em.”
Ison then looked a chance when he surged to the front approaching the final turn with Pipers Challenge but race favourite Mannaway appeared and raced away to a 13m triumph for young driver Daniel Morgan.
“He’s been going good down at Newcastle but just keeps on finding a better one,” Morgan said.
He describes the Jamie Cassar-trained four-year-old gelding as a “bit of a funny bugger”.
Varga then snatched the drivers’ premiership from Ison’s grasp when he won the aptly named, THRC Awards @ Southgate Inn August 15 Pace (1980m) with Mitrhys Magic.
It was a timely 4.5m win for Varga to also hand his parents, Nola and John Varga, a win with a horse they bred.
Mitrhys Magic has now won 10 of his 37 starts as well as a drivers’ premiership for Varga and almost secure the Peter and Dianne McNamara Horse of the Year title as well.
He finished just behind Craig Clegg’s The Muse, who had run a gallant second to Signory Shannon in the Psarakis Accounting Marathon Final earlier in the evening.
The Peter Bullock-trained Signory Shannon, driven by Chris Shepherdson, broke a 26-year-old track record in the process.
Kotare Sterling had set the previous 3110m track record at 4mins 1.18secs (MR 2:04.90) with Signory Shannon cruising to a brillant 4mins .8secs (MR2:04.6).
It wasn’t the only new mark set on the night, with Somemondosomewhere breaking Not The Full Deck’s 2013 two-year-old record when the Michael Formosa- trained-and-driven two-year-old gelding won the TAB Rewards 2&3YO pace (1609m) in 1min 59secs.
He carved .9secs off the previous mark in winning his third race by by an easy 17m.
He is owned by Tamworth’s Wendy and Maurice Mondolo and continued their great run at home and abroad with Formosa-trained pacers.