Horse Racing
17 December, 2025
Herbertson wins pacing cup
Heywood trainer Rebecca East and Lexton based driver James Herbertson combined to take out the 2025 edition of Horsham Pacing Cup on Sunday, December 7, with six-year-old gelding Operative Line.
Operative Line settled three back in the running line after starting from the second row and raced kindly as the field dawdled through the middle half in 60.4 seconds - a tempo unexpected in country cups.
It wasn't until the 600m mark when Lochie Cook gave second favourite Dhaulagiri full throttle and made a forward move that the Herbertson followed Cook into the action and a wall of horses charged into the home turn.
Dhaulagiri hit the lead at the top of the straight but Operative Line quickly had its measure and finished off strongly to take the Cup by two metres from Sweetpassion (Amy Day) which flashed home late in-between runners.
Horsham pacer Little Louie came from last with 400 to go to finish a brave third after racing five wide round the final bend for owner-trainer-driver Aaron Dunn.
Operative Line is raced by his breeders, Anthony & Jacqueline Bagnall of Hamilton and Sunday's victory took its’ record to 15 wins, 16 placings and $151,948 from 71 starts.
The Speeding Spur @ Woodlands Stud Horsham Trotters Cup over 2700m was taken out by Faith Full, for Goulburn Valley owner/trainer Jamie Egan and part-owner Bek Dudley.
The six-year-old mare with driver James Herbertson in control, stepped away cleanly from the front line when the tapes were released and settled one-one in a strung out field as Maestro (Oliver Kite) went to the lead.
The daughter of Majestic Son CA travelled beautifully through the middle stages and approaching the bell "Herbie" elected to take the spot outside the leader for the final circuit.
Striding clear on the final bend, Faith Full cruised to the line three metres in advance of the brave El Conqueror ( Tristan Larsen) with Jakarta (Kerryn Manning) coming in third.
It was a great training effort by Egan to produce Faith Full for the first time in a standing start contest and over the staying journey of 2700m with her previous 49 appearances all behind the mobile and over shorter trips.
Sunday promises a much shorter float trip for the Faith Full team as they head to Gunbower in search of another country cup.
The Horsham-Hamilton Lewis family celebrated after their four-year-old stallion Browniesatmidnight took out the Traction Ag Owner For A Day Pace with concession driver Luke Dunn taking the reins for the Marg and Paddy Lee training partnership.
The lightly raced son of American Ideal USA and Mistressofillusion boasts the handy record of seven wins from 27 starts and should go on to win at metro level in the near future.
Just as happy as the winning owners was Wedderburn's Paul Stephenson who collected $1000 cash after drawing the horse in the Traction Ag Owner For A Day Competition.
Biggest surprise on the day was the victory of five-year-old mare Castles In The Sky which led throughout in the Horsham Doors & Glass Trotters Mobile for Concongella owner/trainer /driver Paul Rousch.
Castles In The Sky was able to bowl along at her leisure over the shorter 1700m journey and never looked like stopping, scoring by 17m from Magic Law (Michael Bellman) and Snickers Express (Kerryn Manning) in a rate of 2:00.3.
Purchased mid-year by Rousch and Raylene Dunn with a record of one win from 15 starts, the "bargain buy" was having her 10th outing for the stable and now looks to have found her sweet-spot in sprint races.
The Wimmera Aquatrail Pace was taken out in impressive style by the two-year-old colt Zanda Man for the Hamilton team of Jim, Rod and Jackie Barker.
The powerful son of Art Major USA lived up to his looks , with a 7m victory over Torque Power (Kerryn Manning) in a rate of 1:57.8 over the 2200m journey, despite racing greenly.
Racecaller Dan Miekei summed it up best as Zanda Man crossed the line ...."by golly, this horse has got a future....when it learns to race properly...."
Zanda Man is raced by his breeders, the Glyn family of Mt.Gambier.
Deep Lead owner/trainer Marnie Bibby's consistent 7yo gelding Swiss Lightning led from go to whoa in the Samios Plumbing Supplies Pace Final.
Driver Luke Dunne elected to push forward from the start, racing wide through the first 600m then crossing to the pegs as they approached the bell.
Swiss Lightning never missed a beat and went on to a soft 14m victory in a rate of 1:55.5 for the 1700m dash and the 17th of his career.
Rainbow owner/trainer Stuart Cocks and young driver Connor Clarke struck the first blow of the afternoon when Chalkncheddar scored a 5m victory in the Shelton & Lane Stationery Pace.
Clarke took his charge to the lead from gate five and the favourite Insider Trading (Kerryn Manning) never looked like catching the eight-year-old gelding, which posted his eighth career victory in a rate of 2:01.1 for the 2200m journey.
The Bec East stable enjoyed a Cup day double, with four-year-old entire Grinning Beach Boy posting a 13m victory in the West Side Horsham Pace Final.
Driver Michael Bellman worked forward from the second line at the start of the 1700m dash to be in fifth spot at the bell and doing it comfortably while the leaders had burnt plenty of gas in the early stages.
Grinning Beach Boy was striking distance at the 600 and when given clean air by Bellman, claimed the lead at the 400 to put the result in the bag.
It was a training trifecta for East with Eastbro Kozzy (Amy Day) and We Favour Rosie (Jackie Barker) crossing the line beaten 12 and 25m respectively.
Herbertson drove three winners on the nine race card, both feature events and one for his father/trainer Ashleigh with Happenstbabeachboy in the Locks Constructions Vicbred Voucher Maiden Pace.
Drawn inside the second line at the start of 1700m trip, the four-year-old gelding settled three back the markers and was still there as the leaders rounded the final bend.
"Herbie" looked to come away from the pegs then switched back to the sprintlane where Happenstbabeachboy "sprouted wings" to score by 4m in a rate of 1:58.2.
It was a great result for Ballarat owner & breeder Phillip Burns, with the son of Sunshine Beach USA now a winner at his 10th start.