07 July 2015
By Adam Hamilton
The “new” Burnaholeinmypocket looks a formidable force.
Trainer Andy Gath hoped the recent trip to New Zealand for the Harness Jewels would be the making of Burnaholeinmypocket and the early signs indicate just that.
The son of Bettors Delight has won both runs back in Australia, including his first at Group 1 level in last night’s Nursery Flying Stakes (1660m) at Albion Park.
It was a stunning win with Burnaholeinmypocket blasting to the lead from gate three and always looking in control. He posted a scorching 1min52.1sec mile rate, capped by closing splits of 55.5 and 27.9sec.
The mile rate compared well against the 1min51.3sec Avonnova went winning the open-class feature of the night, the Group 1 Sunshine Sprint.
“I know how much Caribbean Blaster’s trip to NZ improved him and I’ve always thought there are some similarities between he and this horse,” Gath said.
“Both have needed time to mature and it looks as though it’s starting to come together for Burnaholeinmypocket now.
“He’s comeback more of a racehorse. He’s keener and more focused, even in his work at home.
“I wasn’t going to take him to Queensland, but he came back from NZ so well I just had to give it shot.”
Gath was particularly pleased with the gelding’s gate speed. “He never really had gate speed, it’s something he’s developed.
He even surprised me how easily he lead (last night),” he said. Driver Kate Gath’s only moments of concern came down the back straight the last time when Burnaholeinmypocket got right up on the steel and wanted to go quicker.
“He was really keen to let rip earlier than I wanted, but to his his credit he still finished the race off really well,” she said.
“There were so many exciting things about the run … to be able to blast off the gate like that for the first time, get a bit too keen in front, but still finish it off so well.”
Andy Gath said he was not committed to backing-up the gelding in Saturday night’s Gold Coast Derby. “I’ll wait and see how he is,” he said.
“We can always give him next week off and go straight to the Queensland Derby in two weeks. He’s still got the Breeders Crown to come after this as well.”
Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen’s Hug The Wind, who finished second in the Jewels final where Burnaholeinmypocket ran fourth, finished a fighting second last night.
He drew wide, moved around to sit parked in the middle stages and never gave in, albeit finishing 12m behind Burnaholeinmypocket.
Another Kiwi-bred, My Kiwi Mate, continued his encouraging signs for traines Craig Demmler and Jodi Quinlan by running a bold third.
IT was 21 months ago when Ian Gurney peeled-off $20,000 to claim battling pacer Avonnova from a race at Goulburn, in country NSW.
In one of the sport’s truly great stories, the free-legged pacer has won 22 races and earned almost $500,000 since. And now he’s added a Group 1 victory with last night’s $100,000 Sunshine Sprint (1660m).
After so many near misses in big races, Gurney, who owns and trains the rising nine-year-old, struggled for words after the victory.
“I’m ecstatic. I can’t speak. What can I say?” he said. Heavily backed to start $2.60 second favourite, Avonnova used gate one to lead easily and driver Shane Graham was happy to turn him loose in front and post sharp fractions.
“Once we led, I knew Smolda would have to come around and the quicker we went, the harder he’d have to work,” Graham said.
That’s exactly how it panned out with Natalie Rasmussen moving around sit parked, while Avonnova ran the first half in 55.4sec then 28.7sec down the back straight before a 27.4sec closing quarter.
Avonnova’s 1min51.3sec mile rate was not far off the record set by Im Themightquinn at 1min50.4sec last year. Avonnova ran third in that race.
Smolda’s effort to dig in and get within 2.4m after doing the hard yards was outstanding and no doubt he’ll appreciate the extra 1000m of the Group 1 Blacks A Fake when he meets Avonnova again in two weeks.
It was a night of seconds for Rasmussen with her star filly Fight For Glory having her colours lowered when she took on older mares and sat parked for second to the much-improved Millwood Liberty in a 1min54.4sec mile rate for 1660m.
LUKE McCarthy is re-thinking his decision to bypass the Perth Inter Dominion with young star Bling It On. Setbacks to some of the sport’s biggest names, like Beautide and Guaranteed, and Bling It On’s continued development has prompted him to seriously consider a Perth raid in November.
Bling It On posted his 33rd win from just 46 starts when he led and thrashed a moderate field at Albion Park last night.
The rising five-year-old looked backed to his sparkling best with closing splits of 54.5 and 27.3sec. “I’m keeping an open mind now,” McCarthy said.
“He wasn’t at his best when beaten in the Chariots Of Fire, but he had a good break after it and has come back really, really well.”
Bling It On has races like the 4YO Championship and 4&5YO Championship over the next few weeks in Brisbane. “Then I’ll chat with the owners and map out where we go. Inter Dom noms close in September, so there’s no rush to make decisions just yet,” McCarthy said.
Story supplied by Harness Racing New Zealand INC
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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