Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Star Collie reinsman Trent Wheeler’s target over the next five weeks is to chalk up a century of winners in the sulky for the first time in a season.
He notched his 600TH winner in the sulky when he drove Magnus Victor to a sparkling all-the-way success in the 2130m Westral Plantation Timber Shutters Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
That took his season’s tally to 92, and he is now poised to complete his most successful season, following his tally of 96 winners in 2023.
The 40-year-old Wheeler was driving Magnus Victor for the first time in a race, filling in for the four-year-old’s Capel trainer Aiden De Campo, who is serving a short term of suspension.
Magnus Victor was a $7.50 chance from the No. 3 barrier, and Wheeler stole a march on his rivals by getting the Sweet Lou gelding away to a flying start to burst to the front after 130m and then running the opening quarters in 30.1sec. and 29.8sec. before a sizzling third section of 27.2sec.
Wheeler then had to drive Magnus Victor hard in the final stages to hold out Ima Fivestar General and win by a half-length, rating 1.56.
Magnus Victor, who ended a losing sequence of ten, has been a handy performer who has earned $134,373 from 13 wins and 16 placings from 48 starts.