Emerging Southern trotter Dark Horse fired a warning shot for her Harness Jewels rivals with a dominant win at Winton on Saturday.
The Nathan Williamson-trained-and-driven 4yr-old dashed up thepassing lane to easily beat last month's group 1 New Zealand Trotting Championship winner, Eyre I Come.
The speedy squaregaiter will have a similar task when she steps up to her biggest test in the 4yr-old trotters' Harness Jewels final at Ashburton in less than three weeks.
There, Dark Horse will be thrown in against proven group 1 performers in Marcoola, Temporale and Wilma's Mate.
Williamson produced his own group 1 performer, Tas Man Bromac, to run third in only his second start for the season later on the Winton programme.
The pacer was denied in his first start since October by winner Jimmy Mack and second placegetter Bettor Ops.
Jimmy Mack was one of two winners on Saturday's card for the training and driving combination of Brett Gray and Brent Barclay.
The pair also scored with Too Cool in the opening race.
Trainer Peter Hunter got a pick-me-up while recuperating from the concussion he sustained in the crash that marred last month's Diamonds Day meeting at Ascot Park.
Hunter watched from the stands as Dexter Dunn steered his stable runner, Justasip, to her third career victory.
Dunn also steered the Aaron Swain-trained Share The Road to an impressive win in her first career start.
The 3yr-old filly caused a false start when galloping from her barrier draw of 1. Dunn then chose to start from the unruly position for take two.
The disadvantage of starting from the unruly did not stop Share The Road from beating her rivals, after Dunn buzzed her around the field in the middle stages.
The Tin Tin In America pacer then fought on too strongly for placegetters Tara Tutaia and Repartee.
Hunter is recovering from his concussion issues.
The Ryal Bush trainer-driver is highly unlikely to be seen driving again this season, but it is hoped he will return to driving trackwork in the coming weeks.
The Racing Integrity Unit completed an inquiry into the incident in which Hunter was injured at Ascot Park last month. That resulted in Allan Beck being charged with careless driving.
Beck fronted a JCA hearing to face those charges on Saturday. He admitted the charge and was handed a suspension of nine driving days that will keep him on the sidelines until September 28.
-By Jonny Turner
