New Zealand’s fastest mare is about to go back in time.
The Orange Agent added another national record to her collection with a stunning performance at Alexandra Park on Friday, coming from what looked a hopeless position at the 600m mark to grab Cyclone Kiwi.
She had to come four wide and even overcame ducking in, in the home straight to grab victory in a 1:54.3 mile rate for the 1700m, a new national mares’ mark.
Considering the leader paced his final 800m in 55.7 seconds, The Orange Agent must have broken 55 seconds when you take into account the extra ground she covered.
But while she is now an aged mare’s record holder, The Orange Agent reverts to being a three-year-old filly this week because of the odd situation that sees Australia’s harness racing season end a month later than ours.
So she arrives in Melbourne on Sunday as a mares national record holder about to race in the fillies Breeders Crown.
She is red hot to win that series, especially with her arch rival Fight For Glory not competing.
And trainer Brian Hughes is unusually confident.
“She doesn’t seem to have anything bothering her at the moment, she feels spot on,” says Hughes.
“She has got better all season.”
The Orange Agent will be stabled with former Kiwi trainer Nicole Molander and her first Australian start will be in the Breeders Crown semis at Ballarat on Saturday night before the final eight days later.
She has already shown she has the measure of her fellow New Zealand-trained fillies in Start Dreaming, Linda Lovegrace and Classical Art, who are next in the ABC betting, with the Australian fillies not a strong crop.
But more importantly, The Orange Agent has developed gate speed as well as the ability to come wide and overcome little momentum interruptions in her races, giving driver Maurice McKendry options in Victoria.
“She was great again tonight and she just has so much speed,” said McKendry of a drive that could have seen him cop plenty of criticism had The Orange Agent arrive a few strides later.
Her win was the undoubtedly highlight of the Alexandra Park meeting but the rarity was the win of Major Star as a free-legged pacer in one of the better support races.
A former Jewels placegetter, Major Star was having his second start free-legged for trainer Brent Mangos and looked magnificent in full flight down the back straight as he held out The Faithful.
The quinella was a special one for the ATC Trot Syndicates which own both horses as they were racing in the syndicate’s new colours for the first time.
The other stars of the show were the Wallis-Hackett stable, who won two of the trots with Commander Paris and Twelve Monkeys, both in the hands of John Dunn.
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