Kid Montana races to his first Newcastle win

Narrabri-owned-and-trained pacer Kid Montana has added to his impressive resume with his first win in Newcastle on Saturday evening.

Kid Montana, owned by Narrabri’s Nathan and Charles Dicks, Peter, Chris and Garry Shepherdson and Neil Drysdale, had raced at the Newcastle track four times prior and had placed in three of those.

But on Saturday he got the job done in the fourth race of the night which was the 1909-metre Trots TV Pace (NR up to 120).

The five-year-old gelding started as the $2.60 favourite and was driven to victory by Brad Elder who was celebrating his birthday on the day.

Kid Montana was the only of the nine runners to start from the second row but quickly overtook three other pacers to move into sixth position.

With one 931-metre lap left to run Kid Montana was still sixth, three back in the running line. He remained in that position down the back straight but with 400 metres to go Elder made a move, taking Kid Montana three wide going into the home turn.

The Narrabri pacer entered the home straight running alongside the Mick Formosa-trained-and-driven Doubledelightbrigade at the front and it was Kid Montana which stormed home fastest, winning by four metres from Doubledelightbrigade.

Placing third in that race, 10 metres behind Kid Montana, was the 2020 Narrabri Cup winner Bohannan who was driven by Jake Hughes for Roy Roots Junior who actually had five pacers in action in the race.

Kid Montana’s trainer and part owner Peter Shepherdson was pleased with the gelding’s run and commended Elder for his drive.

“Kid started favourite and we considered him as the best horse in the race,” Shepherdson told The Courier.

“Because of his grading he always draws bad, but with only nine horses in the race and him the only one off the back line he got a little bit of a choice as to where he could slot in.

“Brad then drove him a treat, he got him out at the right time and he pulled away from them at the finish post.

“Actually Brad’s drive was absolutely perfect.”

Kid Montana has now raced 66 times for 24 wins, eight second-placed finishes and nine third-placed finishes, and he has now amassed $122,768 in his successful career.

And he is showing no signs of slowing up yet, with his owners keen to take him to Menangle again in the near future when travel restrictions within the sport are eased.

“He just loves to win,” Shepherdson said.