Shamrock shatters track record in final race
track record being broken in the last race of the day.
Shamrock Tuxedo, driven by Andy Stoneham, took two-fifths of a second off the record he set in the last race of the 1993-94 season.
Tuxedo drew pole position for the first heat and Eddie Roque, who has driven him in every other race this season, won that event in a time of 1:07/4. That win earned Tuxedo the pole position for the second heat when Stoneham took him over the wire five lengths ahead of his nearest rival, Carolina Jubilee, who also came home in his fastest time this season.
Eddie the Great, Tuxedo's greatest rival this season, suffered a bad day.
Michael DeCosta drove him in the first heat but missed an opportunity to tuck in behind Tuxedo at the start. This gave Carolina Jubilee the chance to take off after Tuxedo and Eddie the Great faded away. Guest driver Michel Allard from Quebec had the same result with Eddie the Great in the second heat.
Melody Time, with John Flood, enjoyed two easy wins in the A Division of the free-for-all, clocking up their fastest time of the season, 1:10/2. The B Division of the junior free-for-all was won by Pondababe and Daniel Greenslade in the first heat and an exciting run from behind by Bobby DeGraffe's Gusto's Cracker Jack gained first place honours in the second.
Abby Dabby Doo and William Madeiros proved it possible to win starting in the fourth hole as they powered out of the start gate and drove two and three wide for three-quarters of the race before getting in front for an easy win in the first heat.
The second heat was more hotly contested but was won again by Abby Dabby Doo with Hoe Down Don, driven by Allard, a close second. Sandacre Tashiba was third and Just Cruisin fourth.
Michael Roberts finished the season with four wins, two with Just a Gigolo and two with Direct Toy Boy, both of whom have surprised many with their racing performances.
Toy Boy lost only two races during the season, moving up two time bars in the process. Just a Gigolo, although not with as many wins, has also impressed.
Paceway Debutante, with David Mello, continued their series of wins by beating Sandtrap and Bad Boy Tony in both heats of the A Division 1:14 bar. And Maple Hill T Bird brought home two wins for Michael DeCosta in the B Division of the 1:14 bar.
The harness racing season will start up again in September/October.