Wimmera-based trainers and drivers capped off a successful year with several wins on Friday night in Melton.
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The December 31 meet featured 12 group one races under lights, featuring numerous formidable fillies, mares, colts and gelding trotters and pacers from two to four years old.
Horsham owner-trainer-driver Aaron Dunn won the Victorian-bred three-year-old colts and geldings series final on Bondi Lockdown with a time of 2:37.90.
"I call him Rocky Balboa because he gets knocked down and he keeps getting up again!"
Those were the words called by Dan Mielicki shortly after the start of the Rock N Roll Heaven Vicbred Super Series 3YO Colts and Geldings Final when race favourite Bondi Lockdown was caught in a tangle with Beyond Delight (Emma Stewart/Greg Sugars).
But trainer-driver Aaron Dunn steadied his charge, rolled forward to a spot up on the speed and still had enough in the tank to put pay to his rivals in the home straight.
The Somebeachsomewhere colt had nearly 5m in reserve over Narutac Prince (David and Josh Aiken), who flashed home from back in the field at big odds to grab second.
The win, which was clocked in a rapid 1:53.4min mile rate, was Bondi Lockdown's second at Group 1 level after taking out the VHRC Caduceus 3YO Classic back in January.
"I thought I might have been in a bit of strife to be honest," Dunn said of the incident at the start.
"Around the turn, I wasn't going to go for home too early, but he had them all covered. It's unbelievable. He's a great horse. It would have been unlucky if he got knocked off tonight."
Bondi Lockdown, who was bred by Carl and Matthew Reinehr and is owned outright by Dunn, has now won 12 of 26 starts for over $230,000 in prizemoney.
Mannings marvellous in Melton
The dynamic duo of trainer Peter Manning and driver Kerryn Manning of Great Western took out the Victorian-bred two-year-old colts and geldings series final on Plymouth Chubb.
The win gives the young gelding 14 wins in a row, losing only its first race after a disastrous start.
Plymouth Chubb's 2021 season will go down as one of the greatest ever seen after Peter Manning's brilliant gelding collected a fourth two-year-old Group 1 on New Year's Eve.
The champion juvenile held on to win the Skyvalley at Aldebaran Park Vicbred Super Series 2YO Trotting Colts and Geldings Final by a bare margin over arch-rival Courage Stride (Chris Lang), who went down by a short half-head on the line.
Manning's daughter Kerryn was at the controls and she moved Plymouth Chubb from his back row draw to the death seat at the bell, but that allowed Courage Stride to gain crucial one-one cover. And with Manning needing to pressure talented leader Cravache Dor (Anton Golino/Josh Duggan), it left her vulnerable for Lang's charge in the straight.
But despite his best efforts, Courage Stride's dive-bomb attack just missed and Plymouth Chubb held on for yet another triumph.
"When they get to him, he does fight on," Kerryn said.
"Wouldn't have wanted it much further, but it's a good relief to get there.
"It's great to have a horse like this to drive and for the family to enjoy."
Plymouth Chubb's owners and breeders Gary Benson and Steven Hegyi were trackside to witness their horse's 14th-straight success, which took his earnings up over $220,000.
On-track broadcaster Gareth Hall revealed plans for the Majestic Son gelding to be sent to New Zealand for some of the Derbies during his three-year-old season and to potentially tackle the Inter Dominion Championships in Victoria during late 2022.
"Not since Knight Pistol has (Dad) had a horse that's good enough to look at these sort of races and baring bad luck and anything, he's certainly got the qualities," Kerryn said.
"Obviously it gets harder from now on, but he's certainly a lovely horse and he's done such a good job."
Plymouth Chubb's other Group 1 wins in 2021 included the Home Grown Classic, Redwood Classic and Breeders Crown Final.
Also in the mix were Terang trainer Matty Craven, who took home two group one winners with Heza Son Of Agun, a nifty two-year-old pacer colt, and Queen Of Crime, a four-year-old pacing mare.