mmg.com.au

Shepparton reinswoman Rebecca Bartley’s winning double at Albury on Saturday night included her 100th winner.

The promising Steve O’Donoghue-trained Bookeeper provided Bartley with the milestone triumph in the opening event on the card for R1-R3 class pacers, while the Benalla-trained Saphira brought up her 101st winner in the following race.

Ironically Saphira’s trainer Jason Ross retired from training 21 years ago — the same year Bartley was born.

Ross worked for well-known Benalla harness racing trainer Kevin McFarlane for many years before hanging up the driving and training reins .

He is a brother-in-law of O’Donoghue who gave him Saphira to train for his return to the harness racing ranks.

In another coincidence, Bartley also notched her first win as a reinsperson at an Albury meeting.

That was on the O’Donoghue-trained La Moray on November 7, 2009, a pacer she has now partnered to 12 wins, which include her first five drives on the pacer.

O’Donoghue said this week Bartley, who has worked for him since launching her driving career, was a dedicated and a competent young reinswoman who deserved all the success she has had to date.

‘‘She has come a long way in a short time. She has been a real credit to herself,’’ he said.

Goulburn Valley trainers were well to the fore at Albury, producing the first three winners on the six-race card.

After the wins of Bookeeper and Saphira, Ardmona trainer Doc Wilson and reinswoman Donna Castles combined to salute with Our Archangel.

In 19 starts since joining the Wilson stable Our Archangel has now won three races — all at Albury and all when partnered by Castles.

These wins included back-to-back wins on the track in June-July.