Trois-Rivières, Qué.
-- Canada’s James MacDonald padded his World Driving Championship (WDC)
lead with a win, a second-place finish, and a third-place finish in four
tournament races on
Wednesday evening (August 16) at Hippodrome 3R in Trois-Rivières,
Québec.
His victory came behind
Federal Strike in the evening’s second WDC event, and it took some crafty
driving to overcome post 11 in the mile-and-a-sixteenth affair for
trotters. The pair established second-over position behind Swedish driver
Björn Goop and Abundasass nearing the midway stage, were caught in a blind
switch by the three-wide Crown Point (Gerhard Mayr, Austria), but worked into
the pocket on the far turn before finding room at head-stretch and lifting to a
going-away win.
MacDonald began the
evening with a second-place finish aboard Ninoscredit behind American Marcus
Miller and Maracasso, who emerged second-over out of traffic before sustaining
a belated rally to the fore, and he concluded the card with a third-place
finish up the open stretch with Winoc Jimmy behind Maltese driver Noel
Baldacchino and Tidewater Tomahawk. His lone off-the-board finish came in
the night’s third tournament race, which saw Finnish driver Mika Forss reclaim
second in the standings with a victory aboard ten-year-old veteran Shanghai B
G.
The fifth and final leg
of the WDC is scheduled for Friday evening (August 18) at Red Shores
Racetrack and Casino at Charlottetown Driving Park on Prince Edward
Island. MacDonald’s 192 points give him a comfortable 26-point lead over
Forss (166), while Miller (162.5) remains a close third. Defending
champion Dexter Dunn of New Zealand (131) and Baldacchino (120) lifted one
position each into fourth and fifth respectively, while Shane Graham
(Australia), Goop, Mayr, Eirik Høitomt (Norway), Rik Depuydt (Belgium), and
Mark Purdon (New Zealand) round out the field with four races remaining.
The top point-earner at
the end of the five legs will be declared the 2017 World Driving Champion and
win $25,000 in prize money.
The World Driving Championship – along with the 25th anniversary edition of the World Trotting Conference, to be hosted in Charlottetown – are both held every two years and will coincide with the 250th Anniversary of horse racing in Canada, and Canada 150 celebrations.
The World Driving Championship – along with the 25th anniversary edition of the World Trotting Conference, to be hosted in Charlottetown – are both held every two years and will coincide with the 250th Anniversary of horse racing in Canada, and Canada 150 celebrations.
2017 World Driving
Championship Leaderboard (after four of five legs)
Rank - Driver (Country) – Points
Rank - Driver (Country) – Points
1. James
MacDonald (Canada) - 192
2. Mika Forss (Finland) - 166
3. Marcus Miller (United States) - 162.5
4. Dexter Dunn (ITA/New Zealand) - 131
5. Noel Baldacchino (Malta) - 120
6. Shane Graham (Australia) - 113
7. Björn Goop (Sweden) - 111
8. Gerhard Mayr (Austria) - 109
9. Eirik Høitomt (Norway) - 108
10. Rik Depuydt (Belgium) - 85
11. Mark Purdon (New Zealand) - 83.5
2. Mika Forss (Finland) - 166
3. Marcus Miller (United States) - 162.5
4. Dexter Dunn (ITA/New Zealand) - 131
5. Noel Baldacchino (Malta) - 120
6. Shane Graham (Australia) - 113
7. Björn Goop (Sweden) - 111
8. Gerhard Mayr (Austria) - 109
9. Eirik Høitomt (Norway) - 108
10. Rik Depuydt (Belgium) - 85
11. Mark Purdon (New Zealand) - 83.5
