Three local winners had a huge and enthusiastic crowd excited last Wednesday evening when the Parkes Harness Racing Club hosted the many Elvis fans - in town for the Festival.
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Acclaimed performer Damian Mullin entertained racegoers off the track but it was the keen competition on the Paceway that proved to be the real winner.
While Bathurst trained horses dominated the meeting, three of the winners had a local connection including Valiant Charger, Cullens Maori and Party Hat.
Alectown trainer, driver Nathan Townsend had a big contingent of supporters cheering him home when he drove the perfect race to score aboard Valiant Charger in the Col Fletcher Ford Pace.
Townsend had his gelding away fast from gate three and then backed off the pace before running a quick last half, giving his opponents no chance of catching him.
Parkes owners Jim and Janice Cassidy gained much satisfaction from the win of Cullens Maori in the Clarinda Park IT Pace.
Trained at Bathurst by Nigel Frisby and driven by his daughter Olivia, the five year old mare recorded her third career win from 36 race starts.
Cullens Maori was bred by Jim Cassidy who has contributed much to the harness racing breeding industry and is currently battling poor health, so the win was a real shot in the arm for him.
The Trundle-ites waited until the final race on the program to cheer home Party Hat who led throughout to win the Telescope Tyres & Hankook Tyres Maiden Pace.
It was the gelding's first race win from seventeen starts for owner, trainer Peter Wright and he was rated well in front by promising young Parkes driver, Laura Rusten.
Three feature races were run on Wednesday, the first, the TAB App Elvis Championship taken out by the Greg Rue trained and reined Scaramucci.
In what was a common theme for the night's racing, Scaramucci led and got away with some slow early quarters before dashing clear for a comfortable win.
The judge was unable to separate Tulhurst Dancer (Nathan Hurst) and A Dusty Dance (Mark Hewitt) who dead heated in the APG & NSWSOA Ladyship Pace.
In a thrilling finish, Parkes trained mare, Christiano Rose (Blake Medlyn) was only inches away in third spot and then there was a further dead heat for fourth placing.
Bathurst trainer Bernie Hewitt provided the quinella in the third of the feature races, the Club Menangle Country Series qualifying heat.
Bernie drove the winner Tom The Curious while his son Doug was aboard runner up Bridge Coin.
Champion trainer Steve Turnbull and his youngest son Mitch combined to land a winning double on the program with Mach Daddy and Miki Mahoney while Steve's daughter Amanda won the opening race of the night with Lady Angelina.
The biggest priced winner of the night was Brooklyn Bandit (Jake Davis) in the Terry Brothers Pace.
The three year old colt started at 50-1 and paid $70.60 on the NSW TAB.