LONDON, ON — It took them a couple of races to get up to speed, but once they did Stephen Byron and John Bax were riding an express train to the Grassroots winner’s circle at Western Fair Raceway on Monday afternoon.

Peterborough trainer Bax harnessed four sophomore trotting fillies in Monday’s contest and Byron piloted the first two, Nashotah and Taketwo N Callme, to fourth and second place finishes in their respective Grassroots divisions. Two races after his near miss with Taketwo N Callme, Byron landed in the winner’s circle with Gaelic Mistress and one race later the Thornton resident was back in front of the grandstand with Valley Courtney.

Starting from Post 4 in the tenth race, Byron fired Gaelic Mistress straight to the front, reaching the opening quarter in :29.1. Fan favourite Kicks And Giggles attempted to take command heading for the 1:00.3 half, but could not wrestle the lead from Gaelic Mistress, who carried on to a 1:29.3 three-quarters.

Pocket sitter Abby Kadabra tried to reel in Gaelic Mistress down the lane, but could only gain a length on the pacesetter, and Byron and Gaelic Mistress were awarded the one and one-quarter length victory in 1:59.2, the fastest of the eight Grassroots divisions.

Abby Kadabra earned the runner-up’s share of the $20,000 purse, and York Street trailed home five lengths to the rear of the leaders in third.

Bax’s Parkhill Stud Farm of Peterborough, Wooden Lissen Stable of Port Perry, Venture K Stable of Lindsay and Lewis Palmer of Oshawa own Striking Sahbra daughter Gaelic Mistress, who now has two wins on her four-race sophomore resume.

His front end strategy worked so well with Gaelic Mistress that Byron opted to replicate it with Valley Courtney in Race 11. The pair powered away from Post 1 to a :29.3 quarter and never faced a challenge through a 1:01 half and a 1:31.3 three-quarters. The Striking Sahbra lass sailed home a one and one-quarter length winner in 2:01.4.

Favourite Jayporthasitall, owned by Danterra Racing Stable of Strathroy, recovered from an early break to finish second and Putter Perfect parlayed a pocket trip into the third-place cheque.

Harry Locke of Oshawa and Bax share ownership of Valley Courtney, who was a Gold Series competitor at two.

Ingersoll resident Don McElroy piloted Greater Good to an impressive victory from the outside Post 7 in the second Grassroots split. The pair led the field through fractions of :29, :59.1 and 1:29.1 before sprinting home to the 1:59.3 score over Pasadena Princess and favourite Most Fabulous.

The win marked Greater Good’s fourth straight visit to the winner’s circle this season. William Daniel Ray of Freelton has trained the King Conch filly to a sophomore record of five wins and two seconds in eight starts for his partner Scott Maracle of Hagersville.

Fan favourite Fa Mulan got a front end steer from Dutton resident Alex Lilley to earn her seventh sophomore victory in the eighth race. The Berndt Hanover miss carved fractions of :30,1:01.3 and 1:32.2 before flouncing home two lengths to the good in 2:02.3. Taketwo N Callme was second and Trottingnstriking was five lengths back in third.

Richard Griffiths trains Fa Mulan for Ming Siu and Irene Siu of Richmond, BC. Through 12 starts the filly has tallied seven wins, including a leg of the Celias Counsel Series at Woodbine Racetrack in April, two seconds and one third.

The other Grassroots divisions went to Sophisticat in 2:01.2; Good Common Cents in 2:00.2; Hamster Dance in 2:00.4; and Tameka Seelster in 2:01.

The three-year-old trotting fillies return to Grassroots action on June 24 at Grand River Raceway. Next up on Western Fair Raceway’s Ontario Sires Stakes schedule is a Grassroots event for the exciting three-year-old pacing colts on Friday, June 27.

For complete results please go to: http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/results/data/rlonmo.html