Raising Richard turned in a career-best performance for trainer Ed McHale with a ten and three-quarter-length romp in Sunday night’s $8,550 Winners Over Handicap Trot at Rideau Carleton Raceway.

Driven by Darrell Coville, Raising Richard led the way through fractions of :27.2 and :57.1 before beginning to gain some separation from the rest of the field on the way to three-quarters in 1:25.4. From there, he expanded his three-length leading margin into the double-digits and took a new lifetime mark of 1:55.3. Ghirardelli Lindy and Stormont Knight followed back in second and third, respectively.

Raising Richard paid $7.80 to win as the 5-2 second choice. The five-year-old Deweycheatumnhowe-Raising The Bar gelding has hit the board in 20 of his 30 starts this year, including 11 times as a winner. He has banked $52,750 this year for owners John MacMillan of Spencerville, Ont., and 2099551 Ontario Inc.

Guy Gagnon drove four winners on the Sunday program, including his own trainee Nobetterplacetobe ($4.50) in the co-featured Winners Over Handicap Pace. The five-year-old son of Bettors Delight was a front-end winner in 1:54.1, defeating Ufdragons Rocket by one and a quarter lengths with longshot Canadian Edition closing for third.

(Standardbred Canada)