Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
New Zealand-born reinsman Stuart McDonald enjoyed an armchair drive to land $1.30 favourite Coney Island Lou an easy winner of the $21,000 Westside Auto Service Tyre and Rims Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night, and he looks set for a century of winners this season.
On Saturday night at Narrogin McDonald scored a double with Velocipede and Lucapelo to take his record in 2024 to 73 winners from 406 drives, and he is firmly on target to better his best season in harness racing, 82 winners from 682 drives in the 2015-16 season.
Coney Island Lou, trained by Gary Hall Snr, remains unbeaten after two appearances in Australia, and he looks set for many more wins. He has earned $94,666 from ten wins and 11 placings from 29 starts.
Coney Island Lou began from the No. 2 barrier in Friday night’s 2130m event, and after a smart lead time of 36.8sec. he was not extended in leading all the way and beating the $6 second fancy Sorridere by just under a length, rating 1.56.7 after final 400m sections of 28.5sec. and 28.2sec.