Montana Nights races to a dominant victory

Narrabri trained and owned pacer Montana Nights raced to his second victory of the year when he ran home to a crushing win at the Tamworth Paceway last Thursday.

The Garry Shepherdson-trained eight-year-old gelding started from the number 10 barrier wearing the number 10 saddlecloth in the 1609-metre Pit Express Pace and was driven by Anthony Varga.

He started as an outsider at $21 odds in what was the sixth of eight races on the day but stormed home to a 22-and-a-half-metre win for Narrabri owners Nathan and Charles Dicks, Peter, Chris and Garry Shepherdson and Neil Drysdale.

Montana Knight settled at the back of the pack early in the race before Varga drove him to seventh in the 10-horse field with a lap and a half to run.

Not happy with the slow speed, the reinsman took the Narrabri pacer around the outside and charged past the six horses he trailed in quick succession to go to the front of the pack at the top turn.

He settled a length in front of the Dean Chapple trained and driven pacer Dark Lustre and that duo were still first and second with full circuit to run.

Varga and Montana Nights picked up the pace with 500 meres left to run, but Dark Lustre nor any of the other eight pacers could match them as the Narrabri gelding charged into the home straight with a comfortable lead and then ran past the finish post almost 23 metres ahead of second-placed Dark Lustre.

Another Garry Shepherdson-trained pacer was in action in that race, which was Arma Rolling Stone.

The four-year-old gelding was driven by Narrabri’s Chris Shepherdson and secured a fourth-placed finish after running home 33 metres behind his stablemate and five-and-a-half metres behind the Brendan James-trained, Caitlin McElhinney-driven third-placed finisher Mega Star.

Montana Nights’ win was his second in 2023 after he was victorious over in Armidale last month, and it was his 12th win in 115 career starts.

Meanwhile, Jarred Hetherington-trained pacer Sahara Jewel raced to a third-placed finish in Tamworth on Thursday.

The five-year-old mare was driven by Jemma Coney in the 1980-metre Carpet One Floor and Home Tamworth Pace and started next to pole position from the number two barrier.

She finished almost four-and-a-half metres back from the winner, which was the Darren Elder-trained, Brad Elder-driven Nightwatch Star.

That was one of an impressive five wins for Brad Elder as he took out races two, four, five, seven and eight.

Meanwhile, the Narrabri Harness Racing Club will host two TAB meets in the next fortnight at the Narrabri Showground.

The first will be this Sunday, April 2, and the second will be held on Easter Monday, April 10.