Harness Racing: Graham Dwyer trains winning trifecta and secures Golden Nugget

The win was just part of the good news for Dwyer, who also secured the trifecta.

"That is just crazy what happened" Dwyer said after Hy Voltage's win, driven by Hunter Valley reinsman Michael Formosa.

Dwyer trained the trifecta in the race, as Hy Voltage earned a half-neck win over stablemate Surf Ace, driven by Brendan Barnes, and Despondent, driven by Tamworth reinsman Dean Chapple, 2.3 metres away in third.

"That was so bizarre to see that result," Dwyer said.

"I was hoping he [Hy Voltage] would handle everything and when he galloped out, I thought 'bugger' and that was the end of that."

Hy Voltage missed the race start when galloping out of the eight barrier on barrier rise, while stablemate Despondent made the most of the four barrier to take the race lead.

Dwyer turned his concentration to Despondent, who had control of the race in the lead.

"I was watching the leader, as he was copping a lot of pressure out in the lead," he said.

The final 500 metre of the race saw Surf Ace present a three wide run with Hy Voltage taking the trail into the race.

"Surf Ace - he just went super, I was really rapt with how he rallied," Dwyer said.

Rounding the final turn Hy Voltage raced four wide before going on to capture the win on the line and returning $12.00 to punters for the win.

Race favourite Boyzhavtime (Tom Ison) at $3.90 race favourite finished fourth.

Hy Voltage covered the 1980 metre race distance in a mile rate of 1.56.3 just two tenths of a second outside the track record set by The Bus (1.56.1) in the 2019 running of the race.

Michael Formosa knew that Hy Voltage was full of energy from the preliminary.

"I knew he was a good horse and highly strung. He lost ground at the start but he didn't have to work hard to catch the field," Formosa said after the win.

"He travelled strong the whole race and once the pace was on, I thought he would have had a chance of a place but the last 50 metres he really buckled down.

"I thought it was a terrific run by [Despondent] - he would be one for the Golden Guitar."

For Formosa, who is fresh off winning the Maitland Inter City Pace with the Andrew Stapleford-trained One For The Rodi, it was his second Gold Nugget win after securing the 2014 running with his own pacer, Ultimate Art.

He finished the night off with driving a winning double with the win of Sporting Tristar in the Moonshiners-Honky Tonk Bar Pace (1609m) for Sydney-based trainer Grant Fuller.

Dwyer will now have to look at which race will suit Hy Voltage at the Tamworth Carnival as the plans for a run in the Golden Guitar heats have now shifted after the win.

"I was hoping to have him for the Golden Guitar but he might have to go in the Cup now - we will have to see," Dwyer said.

"That was my third attempt at winning the Gold Nugget race. I finished second in 2020 and last year was no luck at all."

With a $2,000 gold nugget serving as the winning trophy, Dwyer is yet to sight it with Hy Voltage raced by his wife Martine.

"Martine owns the horse and I know she has got the nugget. I haven't seen it as yet but she deserves to keep it, she does a lot with the horses," he said.

Dwyer also had high praise for his chosen reinsmen: Dean Chapple, Michael Formosa and Brendan Barnes.

"The drivers have got to suit the job and, as far as I am concerned, I picked the best," Dwyer said.

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