A set of $20,000 Invitation events went postward at Rideau Carleton Raceway on Sunday evening, with Countess Stormont and Best Show In Town taking home top prize in their respective assignments as part of Rideau's
Night Of Champions.
Trainer/driver Norm Jones guided Countess Stormont to a 1:57.4 score in the Invitation event for trotters. The four-year-old daughter of Kadabra-Lady Orbitex survived a first-over journey en route to pulling away to win by more than four lengths in a time of 1:57.4. Star Ruffnready was next best and Stormont O My rounded out the top three finishers.
The homebred mare, who is owned by Stormont Meadows of Long Sault, ON, pushed her win streak to three-in-a-row with the victory, while her 2009 record improved to 6-4-1 in 23 starts. The 11-time winner has stashed away more than $96,000 in earnings this season, while her overall total climbed to $233,914.
Best Show In Town could not be caught in the $20,000 Invitation for pacers. The seven-year-old son of Grinfromeartoear-Ms Bellagio rolled the field through fractions of :27.4, :57.2 and 1:25.3 before finishing off the competition with a final quarter clocked in :28.4. He prevailed by a length over Bolero Trisco, while Gogogadgetgo was third in the 1:54.2 affair.
Sid Bradley mapped out the winning trip for the roan gelding, who hangs his harness bag in the barn of trainer Gerard Demers. Best Show In Town now owns a 10-7-2 record in 25 tries this season, and he has banked $92,408 along the way. The 42-time winner bumped his overall cash stash to $363,147 for the 9174 7998 Quebec Inc. of Blainville, QC.
The night featured numerous memorial races honouring some of the Ottawa Valley's racing pioneers as well as be three 'Future Stars' races and two 'Champions Invitation' races.
The main event on the card was the Coville Cup Drivers Challenge, named in honour of the track's reigning hero and winningest driver of all time, Darrell Coville. Nine drivers from Ontario, Quebec and the United States will compete in a one-day, five-race driving tournament with the aim of the tournament to showcase young drivers to Rideau Carleton's racing fans and give new drivers the chance to compete against drivers of similar experience and ability on the big stage.
All proceeds from the evening supported the Shepherds of Good Hope.
To view Sunday’s harness racing results, click here.
Thank you very much for
Thank you very much for everything on this memorable racing night at Rideau Carleton. This is an evening we will all remember. Special thanks to all NCRHHA people involved and to horse owners/trainers for giving these young drivers the possibility to live such a wonderful experience.
Maxime, Maryann and Pierre Desjardins
Night of Champions is now
Night of Champions is now entrenched as one of the Must-See events at Rideau Carleton Raceway. The NCRHHA, under the direction of Gord McDonald, John Macmillan and Russ Moulton did a fantastic job along with management and staff at RCR.
Continued success.
Norm Borg