The Anton Golino-trained trotter Iron Love’s affinity with Melton continued on Saturday night when the five-year-old led all the way in the Hip Pocket Castlemaine Trotters Handicap.
Iron Love stepped quickly from his outside front row barrier and Nathan Jack was intent on giving his charge a leisurely run at the head of affairs.
Despite being joined by several of his rivals in transit, Iron Love hit the line strongly to score from stablemate Courmayeur and All The Trix.
Jack conceded he may have overdone the slow mid-race tempo.
“He begun well but it probably wasn’t one of my better drives. I probably went a bit too slow and kept inviting them to come around,” Jack said.
“The long trip was a bit of a query, but he did it quite well. He can get a little bit keen so I just wanted to keep him happy, and it would have been a good race to watch with plenty of moves and its shame we don’t have more stands like that.”
The son of Love You’s last five wins have all been recorded at Melton.
Later in the night, Jack made it a trotting double when he steered the David Abrahams-prepared mare Rapid Return to victory in the Aldebaran Park Sweetheart Trot Final.
Having only her second start since November, Rapid Return ($14) enjoyed a three wide tow into the race before Jack peeled four wide around the home turn and the daughter of Orlando Vici produced the stoutest finale to score from Keayang Gucci.
Jack said he was confident the mare would improve on her fifth behind Countess Chiron in her heat at Maryborough.
“David said last week that she’d need the run and that’s the way I drove her. And tonight he said that she’d be better for it, and he was spot on,” he said.
Jack believes the best is yet to come for the daughter of Orlando Vici.
“I think she’ll get better as she gets older and her mother (Nieta) was quite a good mare, so if she turns out to have her ability then she’ll do a good job,” he said.
