A TOTAL of nine young drivers took part in the Mount Gambier Pony Trot Gold Cup and Prelude at Greenwald Paceway on Saturday night.
The biggest field of the year prepared for the Prelude, which saw Holly Phillips and Super Marley off the front-mark.
The duo was racing for their second time of the season, while Poppin Pepe was enjoying his first start of the year with Marnee Formosa on board.
Buddy Boom Boom (Evie Sealey) followed closely, but had Jerry (Nicola Bowditch) and Slim Dusty (Amity Formosa) looming not far behind.
Back markers in Super Mario (Keeley Formosa), Marmalde (Mikayla Bygate), Oliver Twist (Bryce Bygate) and Blaze (Amber Formosa) closed the gap and all ponies trotted nicely into the home straight.
Buddy Boom Boom and Sealey took the outside running and ran neck-and-neck with Super Marley to the finish line, just pulling away with the win.
Third over the line was a fast-finishing Jerry and Bowditch, followed by Blaze and Amber in fourth and cleverly driven Oliver Twist and Bryce in fifth.
The tiny Poppin Pepe and Marnee were next over the line with Slim Dusty and Amity finishing in seventh position, while Super Mario and Keeley, as well as Maramlade and Mikayla brought up the rear of the field.
Meanwhile, the Pony Trot Gold Cup saw children in the crowd enter in the sweep, with Jemma Glynn drawing the eventual winner Buddy Boom Boom.
Slight re-handicapping in the Gold Cup saw a few of the backmarkers get a 10m lift and Poppin Pepe start 10m ahead of Super Marley.
All ponies stepped away from their marks with Super Marley passing Poppin Pepe on the outside, in the early stages of the race.
Buddy Boom Boom put his head down and trotted well out of the back straight and into the bend.
Back markers Oliver Twist, Super Mario and Blaze made ground on the rest of the field and a good finish was on the cards.
Turning into the home straight and Poppin Pepe went wide, so driver Sealey – on Buddy Boom Boom – chose to use the sprint lane and get the inside running over the rest of the field.
Jerry and Bowditch passing Slim Dusty around the back bend, trotting strongly, ensuring a good finish.
Super Marley and Buddy Boom Boom were stride for stride, commentator Jim Jacques calling “their little legs were going 10 to the dozen”.
Driver Sealey could not keep the grin from her face as she crossed the finish line in first place on Buddy Boom Boom, closely followed by Super Marley and seven-year-old Holly Phillips – both popular with the crowd.
Third across the finish was Jerry and Bowditch, closely followed by Oliver Twist and Bryce, with Blaze and Amber in fifth.
In a tight tussle for the remaining positions, Super Mario and Keeley, Poppin Pepe and Marnee, Marmalde and Mikayla crossed the line with Slim Dusty and Amity being not far behind them.
At the conclusion of presentations the young pony trot drivers took donation tins through the crowd collecting money for the Women’s Cancer Foundation and in particular Ovarian Cancer.
The female drivers wear teal coloured pants during February and early March to raise awareness of the cause and the drivers collect some money each year to donate to the cause.
The next meeting starts Friday, March 16.
