Charles the new Master of the Trot Rods series

By Jordan Gerrans

As Trot Rods for 2024 reaches its crescendo next week, experienced owner and breeder Jeff Wallace is pleased to take the fastest time so far into the finale at Redcliffe.

Master Charles will be the pacer they are all chasing after scoring in 64.49 seconds in the tenth heat around ‘The Triangle’ on Wednesday night.

The Peter Greig-prepared pacer heads to the finale evening - where 10 heats will be run and won – as the clubhouse leader.

After running weekly heats over the last month, the 2024 series culminates in a finale night on Wednesday May 29, with 10 Trot Rods races to be showcased on a dedicated SKY 2 broadcast. 

Master Charles bettered veteran mare Artful Maid’s time of 64.59 seconds under the urgings of in-form reinsman Pete McMullen in the last heat before the finale.

The five-year-old son of Captaintreacherous is enjoying a prolific campaign with Wednesday’s triumph his fifth this year from just 10 starts.

Master Charles is bred and raced by the Queensland-based Wallace family and they always had reasonable hopes for the pacer.

“He has struck a bit of a purple patch the horse, we always had high expectations for him,” Jeff Wallace said.

“For some reason he has taken a while to settle down and get going.

“Right from when he was a two-year-old Peter had a high opinion of the horse but he just was not living up to what he was doing on the training track when he went to the races.

“But, now he is starting to put his best foot forward. He has been going really consistent this year, which is good.”

McMullen worked Master Charles hard out of the machine from gate three to lead.

He did not have much trouble from there as the race favourite scored by almost nine metres and put himself in the frame for the Trot Rods title for this year.

It has been a big week for champion reinsman McMullen after his driving feats on Tuesday at Albion Park entered the record books.

Master Charles has now won five of his last seven starts and long-time industry participant Wallace thought he would be hard to hold out prior to Wednesday’s event.

“It did not surprise me with the way he has been going and he has gate speed,” he said.

“The 947 metres probably suits a lot of horses and he is one of them. Peter has got him going well and flying.

“Pete McMullen is also going really well and can get the best out of any horse.”

Wallace previously held a trainers licence himself before stepping back and just focussing on his owning and breeding interests.

In his 70s these days, Wallace has had pacers and trotters for almost half a century and has had a long association with the Greig barn.

The Peak Crossing-based Greig stable were on fire on Wednesday evening around the Peninsula track, nabbing a winning treble.

The Wallaces race around a dozen standardbreds with a large number of those with the Group 1-winning Greig team including Western Showgirl, Ima Beach Babe, Forgive Me, Master Charles, among others.

“We are ecstatic about all the horses and the way they are going with Peter,” he said.

“We couldn’t be happier.”

As well as the Wallaces' racing team, they also have a crop of two-year-old's and yearlings working their way towards their debuts on top of their broodmares.

Master Charles’ heat victory on Wednesday was the second time the ownership, trainer and driver had won a heat of the series together. 

Western Showgirl took out the eighth heat in 2020.

The mare also fronted up on finale night of that year as well. 

“It is a good little series and it got Western Showgirl going back then,” the owner and breeder said.

“She won a few races later that year after winning that heat.”

The fastest time ever recorded in Trot Rods came back in 2022 when Just Dessy scorched the track in 63.46 seconds.

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