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Earl excites with Wedderburn Pacing Cup triumph

Former New Zealand pacer Earl Of Pembroke chalked up his first country cup harness racing success when he saluted in the Loddon Shire Wedderburn Pacing Cup on Sunday.

RSN Harness Racing News
RSN Harness Racing News Picture: various (provided)

The Julie Douglas-trained pacer was sent out a well-supported $2.80 favourite on the strength of his close second behind the in-form Invitation Only in the Cobram Cup at his previous start.

Jack Laugher sent Earl Of Pembroke around the field to sit parked with two laps to travel, however he managed to secure cover for the last 1400 metres when the second elect Platinum Stride ($3.50) did likewise.

Earl Of Pembroke pulled out three wide at the 400 metre mark and the son of Washington VC finished resolutely to get up and score by a metre-and-a-half from Ubetcha Tigerpie.

Douglas said Earl Of Pembroke was sourced from New Zealand by the stable five months ago.

"He was one of two or three we got at the time as he fitted the bill as a three-year-old who hadn't done a lot at the time, but we liked what we saw," she said.

Douglas said the stable was quietly confident of victory given the pacer's effort at Cobram three weeks ago.

"It was a big run at Cobram because he wasn't 100 per cent going into the race, and they tested him in the lead and he was brave in defeat," she said.

Earl Of Pembroke has now won six of his 12 starts since arriving in Australia and Douglas predicts a bright future for the four-year-old.

"He's probably the best horse we have in work at the moment," she said.

"He is just so versatile in that you can chase him out of the gate and then he'll drop the bit or you can just let him flop out and take a sit."

Alison and Chris Alford combined to win the Priority 1 Property Wedderburn Trotters Cup with Grumpee earlier in the day.

The four-year-old squaregaiter landed in the one out, two back spot from the standing start and swept home in the straight to defeat Baltica and Majestical Belle.