Barry Ewen, president of the Gawler Harness Racing Club, announced a major sponsorship deal on Friday night, the second such announcement for harness racing in South Australia over the past seven days.

Following a deal forged with Toolern Vale-based Stallion Station to sponsor the mobile starting barriers for the next 12 months, Barry Ewen was pleased to announce the Gawler Paceway would now be known as the ‘Gawler Landscaping Supplies Sports Park – Home of the Gawler Harness Racing Club.’

The deal will provide the club with a facelift and extensive landscaping throughout the complex. The name change also creates an avenue for the complex to become a multi-use facility, with a number of sporting bodies being sought to use the Buchefelde property as their base.

Greg Cooper and the team at Gawler Landscaping Supplies can be found at Lot 9a, Kelly Road, Willaston and are open seven-days-a-week.

Conte cruising

SA Horse of the Year nominee Conte De Cristo returned from a minor setback to cruise around Globe Derby Park on Saturday night in mile rate of 1.57.8 and even-up his head-to-head battle with Sunraysia pacer Cosmic Legacy at one-all.

Cosmic Legacy had been victorious at his previous two Globe Derby starts, once over Conte De Cristo’s stablemate Archie Moses in the New Years Cup and the second over the giant Kiwi-bred pacer himself.

With both groups of connections eyeing off bigger prizes later in the year, including the 2007 SA. A brilliant blend. Inter Dominion, the race always looked like a two-horse battle and that is how it eventuated.

Conte De Cristo was able to hold the lead from his fast-beginning rival who suffered minor interference as the barrier let the field go and had to settle with occupying the death seat.

Driver Paul Cavallaro was then able to control the race and hold off Cosmic Legacy, with trainer-driver Brian Sylvia in the cart, for a two-metre victory.

Conte De Cristo is prepared by the Golden Grove training partnership of Joe Carbone and Peter Sergi. The pair, dubbed ‘The Golden Grove maestros,’ were back in the winner’s circle in the very next race with classy trotter The Upper Crust.

The Upper Crust finished his three-year-old season by placing in the SA Trotters Derby and an unplaced effort in a heat of the Victoria Trotters Derby. The son of Sundon resumed with a comprehensive win over Monday company before stepping out on Saturday night to lead and win by five-metres over Les Harding’s handy squaregaiter, The Reveller.