By Adam Hamilton
It might have been a slower than usual start to the two-year-old season for the All Stars, but they are making up for it now.
Mark Purdon’s Aussie-owned gelding Sicario looked awesome winning his heat of the rich Australian Gold series at Menangle yesterday (Tuesday).
Despite being three-wide for the first 400m and then sitting parked outside main danger Thisbeachrighthere, Sicario dashed to the front at the top of the straight with Purdon in the sulky and won as he liked.
Sicario won without being extended by 8.6m in a 1min53.8sec mile, which was 1.4sec quicker than the next fastest Gold heat of the three run at Menangle.
Sicario, raced by Bill and Jean Feiss who also own Vincent and Spanish Armada, ripped home in closing splits of 55.1 and 26.6sec.
Purdon’s brother, Barry, snared the second heat when Darrin Binskin drove Art Major gelding Be Major Threat to a fighting 2.8m win in a 1min55.2sec mile.
Be Major Threat was crossed at the start from gate two, sat three pegs, then moved alongside the leader, Seeuinnashville, coming to the final bend.
Sicario’s impressive win adds to the intrigue around this year’s Gold series for colts and geldings where Victorian-trained pair Lumineer and Highthanandeagle smashed the clock when they filled quinella in a Melton heat last Friday night.
Despite sitting parked for most of the 1720m heat, Lumineer nabbed Highthananeagle in the last couple of strides in a brilliant 1min53.8sec mile rate.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
