NZ HARNESS NEWS
COLLEGE Chapel headed to the huge Bathurst Gold Crown Carnival as the pin-up horse and didn’t disappoint.
Bernie Hewitt’s explosive son of Mach Three won narrowly but oh so impressively in the $100,000 Group 1 Crown final for two-year-old colts and geldings.
Despite blazing out of the gate and running a 26.4sec opening quarter to find the lead, College Chapel still whizzed home in 56.8sec to beat a gallant Abouttime, who trailed him, but 1.8m in a flying 1min54.5sec mile rate for 1720m.
The time was a race record, taking 0.7sec off what Castalong Shadow posted last year.
It was close but no cigar for Nathan Jack, who landed second and third with Abouttime and Animal.
Nathan’s uncle, David Jack, flew the family flag when he trained and drove Art Major filly Major Kiss to a fighting win in the $100,000 Gold Tiara final for two-year-old fillies.
It was an odd race where Mick Stanley’s easing favourite Desirable Stride led easily with Tim Butt’s Glenledi Babe on her outside, but the leader stopped badly and inexplicably coming to the final bend,
Glenledi Babe ran a mighty race after doing all the work, but couldn’t stave-off the swooping finish of Major Kiss, who scored by 2.8m in a 1min57.1sec mile rate for 1720m.
The $57,200 Group 2 Gold Bracelet final for three-year-old fillies was the race of the night with NZ Oaks nominee Soho Burning Love running a massive race before finally being nosed-out in a scintillating by Art Series 1min54.5sec mile rate for 2260m.
The time matched former Kiwi mare Cyclone Kate’s track record.
Soho Burning Love sustained a big run from back in the field after the leaders went crazy and looked the winner until Amanda Turnbull found clear air on outsider Art Series, trained by her father Steve, and won by a nose.
While it was father and daughter who won with Art Series, it was father and son who won the $57,200 Group 2 Gold Chalice final for three-year-old colts and geldings.
John and Todd McCarthy teamed with the honest Lifeonthebeach to beat War Dan and Code Bailey in a stirring contest and 1min55.5sec mile rate for 2260m.
X X X
STILL on Bathurst and the shock of the night came when former star Kiwi pacer Franco Nelson beat just one rival home as a $1.10 favourite in the Mayor’s Gold Cup (2260m).
Outsider Sapphire Swayze led and Franco Nelson did early work to park outside him, but when the leader started to tire he locked wheels with the favourite and the drivers were unable to untangle. They finished at the rear.
Mick Formosa’s evergreen eight-year-old Ultimate Art enjoyed the tempo and took advantage for a powerhouse over Parramatta.
X X X
HIGH-PRICED Kiwi import King Of Swing no longer has the mortgage on this week’s $200,000 Group 1 WA Derby that most believed.
After an on-again, off-again Derby tilt, the new addition to the Gary Hall Sr stable was sent out a $1.10 favourite to win his first WA start in a Derby prelude last Thursday night.
It didn’t go to plan, at least in the last 400m.
King Of Swing didn’t show the gate speed most expected, but Gary Hall Jr did work his way to the front and steady splits of 29.0 and 29.4sec through the middle half.
He quickened to a 28.8sec down the back straight, but had no answer when another exciting recent Kiwi import Ocean Ridge unleashed a big sprint out of the one-one trail and went straight past the favourite.
Although King Of Swing tried to rally, Ocean Ridge toyed with him in the end and won by 6.2m in a 1min55.3sec mile rate for 2130m.
Ocean Ridge has looked so good winning both WA runs for Greg Bond he is now clearly the one to beat in the Derby.
X X X
AS good as College Chapel looked winning the Bathurst Gold Crown final, many think Emma Stewart’s early season star Centenario is the best juvenile seen so far this season.
The son of American Ideal made it three wins from as many starts when he arrogantly crushed buzz stablemate Fourbigmen in the $20,000 Shakamaker Classic (1720m) in a 1min56.3sec mile rate last Thursday night at Melton.
Fourbigmen led and Centenario was parked, but the just when most expected the leader to find, Centenario went straight past him and held-off a late surge from Sonya Smith’s Major Exclusive to win by a neck.
“He did it easier than it looked,” Centenario’s driver Chris Alford said. “I didn’t want to go as hard down the back straight, but he was cruising and then when he got to the front he sort of switched-off. He lifted again when the other horse came at him.”
Stewart said Centenario rated right up with any of her other juvenile stars of recent years at the same stage, but “he’s got to win some big races to stay there.”
X X X
FORMER Kiwi trotter Tornado Valley is loving Victoria.
The recent addition to Andy and Kate Gath’s barn made it three wins on end when he toyed with a handy field at Melton last Thursday night.
Tornado Valley’s five Aussie runs have already netted almost $90,000 in earnings with the promise of plenty more to come.
X X X
TRAINER Marg Lee might be planning her first Kiwi raid with Jilliby Kung Fu, but she’s still clocking up the big wins back home.
The latest came when emerging four-year-old Jilliby Bandit used a great draw and lovely run to beat a good field in Saturday night’s $30,000 Ararat Cup.
Glen Craven led from the pole then took a trail and used the sprint lane to a field including classy former Kiwis Motu Meteor (third) and Messini (fifth) in a 1min58.4sec mile rate for 2195m around the old-school Ararat track.
Former Kiwi horseman Brent Lilley continued his hot streak by winning the Ararat Trotters’ Cup with Kyvalley Boomerang with Gavin Lang aboard.
X X X
EXCITING four-year-old Harjeet continue his rapid rise through the ranks to blitz his older rivals in the $75,000 Group 2 Easter Cup at Launceston on Saturday night.
Trained and driven by Todd Rattray, Harjeet showed good manners and used his front line advantage in the standing-start handicap to lead and dominate.
The son of Rocknroll Hanover zoomed clear to win by 10.1m from Brent Lilley’s former Kiwi Lets Elope, with another 14.2m away to Stagger Lee in third spot.
This email, and any attachments, is confidential and may be covered by legal professional privilege or other legal rules. If you are not the intended recipient you must not disclose or use the information contained in it. If you have received this email in error please notify us immediately by return email or by calling our main switchboard on +613 9868 2100 and delete the email.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
