By Adam Hamilton
IT was a Kiwi-fest in the Breeders Crown trotting heats at Maryborough today.
Leading the charge were recent Redwood Classic quinella runners High Gait and Missandei, along with Paul Nairn’s exciting youngster Conon Bridge, who all easily won their heats.
Conon Bridge, who ran a luckless fourth in the Redwood, started the theme by ripping home in 28.3sec and winning a very strong two-year-old colts and geldings heat by 4.4m.
The colt mile-rated 2min3.3sec for the 2190m.
Missandei followed her eye-catching second to High Gait in the Redwood by comfortably beating a batch of fillies’ by 2.4m in a cosy 2min4.9sec mile rate.
Then it was High Gait’s turn with trainer-driver Mark Purdon leading easily, crawling through the middle stages and simply dashing home the last 400m in 29.8sec to score by 4.7m in a slow 2min6.7sec mile rate.
The only non-Kiwi winner of the two-year-old heats was handy local Cruisin Around, who dug deep to beat Skyflyer in a stirring finish in a quick 2min2.1sec mile rate. They beat the rest by 30m.
In the three-year-old series, improving local gelding Fabrication made it seven wins from 18 starts when he strolled home by 11.4m in a colts and geldings qualifier. The mile rate was 2min3.3sec.
The biggest upset of the day came when Nicole Molander’s regally-bred Reina Danzante broke at the 400m as a $1.40 favourite and finished down the track in a fillies’ heat.
Blake Fitzpatrick’s NSW Derby-winning filly Fiery Mountain Girl swooped from back in the field to charge away and win easily.
The way she powered home, Reina Danzante, who sat parked throughout, would have struggled to her out even if she didn’t gallop.
The other three-year-old fillies’ heat went to former Kiwi trotter My Arya, who appreciated a return to racing against the girls and kind draw (gate three). She trotted a sharp 2min1.8sec mile rate.
Jodi Quinlan’s headstrong but highly-talented gelding Illawong Armstrong found the lead and was too good in his heat, trotting a 2min3sec mile rate.
Harness Racing New Zealand
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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