Ellalong trainer-driver Michael Formosa hopes a double at Newcastle Paceway with the luckless Eagle Star and back-to-back winner Rolling With Stell is a sign of things to come this season.
The pair cruised to seven-metre wins on Saturday night’s program, which Sydney trainer Craig Cross and driver Ashley Hart dominated with victories from Ima Kennedy Two, Bettor Than Best and Pacman Hammer.
Formosa, who has cut his team to seven in recent months, drove Eagle Star and Rolling With Stell to wins.
“Hopefully my luck’s changed,” Formosa said.
“I’ve had a pretty bad run to start the year.”
Eagle Star’s victory at $7.50 was especially satisfying for Formosa. The four-year-old gelding has had just four starts and was second and fourth at his most recent efforts at Newcastle.
“I’ve had him since he was a yearling and he’s had a few setbacks along the way, but hopefully we’ve sorted it out now and he can keep winning races,” he said. “He went through a fence when he was two and hurt his leg pretty bad and in his first start in a race, he had a fall. He’s been through a bit but he seems to be going OK now.”
Rolling With Stell was a $1.55 favourite in the Evolution Series 3YO heat and won for the third time in 10 career starts. The gelding returned from a spell with victory at Newcastle a week earlier.
“He’s always been a handy little horse and he’s come back from a spell going well,” he said. “He’ll go to the final of that series in a fortnight and then he’ll go for a spell.”
Also, Maitland trainer-driver Geoff Dorn’s Sergei made it three wins in a row.
