By Adam Hamilton
CHRIS Alford can do no wrong.
Just six days after his epic Miracle Mile win on Lennytheshark, Alford partnered veteran Im Corzin Terror to a minor upset win in last Friday night’s $80,000 Group 2 Cranbourne Cup.
It continued Alford’s great strike in the major country cup having won it on the likes of Golden Reign, Tailamade Lombo and Knight Rainbow in years gone by.
Alford put the nine-year-old Im Corzin Terror into a perfect trail right on the speed and that speed was hot when favourite Flaming Flutter held the lead, but was then pressured throughout by a headstrong Maximan on his outside.
They burned through a 58.6 middle half and 28.3sec split down the back straight, so Alford launched three-wide round the final bend and lifted late in a slog-fest to the line to beat Hotasel, who sat behind the leader, and Flaming Flutter.
The mile rate was a very slick 1min58.7sec for the long 2555m trip.
It was Im Corzin Terror’s first win since he saluted in the Hamilton Cup in January, last year.
“I went straight back from the Miracle Mile to drive him in the Charlton Cup last Sunday because I thought he’d win, but he didn’t quite get there,” Alford said.
“Dean (Braun, trainer) put the pull-downs on his tonight and when I pulled them they really made a difference, he concentrated right to the line.”
Im Corzin Terror has been a fantastic campaigner over many seasons and has raced 93 times for 21 wins, 29 placings and $508,719 in stakemoney.
Flaming Flutter fought-on well after being pressured in front, while My Kiwi Mate tried to sustain a long three-wide run from near last without cover and ran a brave race for fourth.
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WHAT an Aussie campaign this has been for Sunny Ruby.
The five-year-old Kiwi mare posted her fourth win from just five runs during the trip when she snatched a last-stride victory in the $50,000 Group 1 Knight Pistol Trot (2555m) at Cranbourne last Saturday night.
Three of Sunny Ruby’s Aussie wins have been at Group 1 level, while the other run was a fantastic third in Australia’s biggest trotting race, the Great Southern Star.
The daughter of Sundon has pocketed $126,900 in earnings during the Aussie raid so far with the promise of more to come.
She now heads to next Saturday night’s $100,000 Group 1 Australian Trotting Grand Prix as nominal favourite.
Trainer Sam Smolenski brought the mare to Australia for the Great Southern Star and has left in the care of partners Sonya Smith and Anthony Butt since then.
“She’s a lovely mare and racing so well,” Butt said. “She really wasn’t entitled to win (last Friday) the way the race run. The leader went so slow, but this mare found a way.”
Another former Kiwi mare K D Muscles led, dawdled through a 63.7sec middle half, kicked away at the top of the straight, but couldn’t quite hold off Sunny Ruby in closing splits of 57.4 and 28.6sec.
Another former Kiwi trotter to shine on the night was the enigmatic Prince Fearless, who showed his best manners to sit parked and win easily for new trainer Nicole Molander and driver Chris Alford.
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IT only took a few starts for champion driver Kerryn Manning to find winning form again in the sulky.
Manning had been sidelined since last December from a nasty fall which left her with three broken ribs, a punctured lung and severe concussion.
She returned to driving at Geelong last Saturday week and snared her first win back in the bike aboard Duke Of Albany, who she trains herself, at Swan Hill last Wednesday night.
Manning trained a double on the night with her husband, Grant Campbell, taking the reins on the other winner, Undercover Don, in the opening race.
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THERE is some talk Nicole Molander’s nicely-bred baby trotter One Muscle Hill (Muscle Hill-Landoras Pearl) could tackle the Harness Jewels.
The colt, owned by Americans Marc Hanover and Gordon Banks, won narrowly but in good style on debut at Maryborough last Thursday.
Driven by Gavin Lang, One Muscle Hill trotted a 2min6.1sec mile rate from the standing start over 1690m to win by a head.
He began well from the stand, sat parked early, worked to the front with a lap to go and dug deep to fight-off a gallant Wobelee in a stirring battle over the last 800m.
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HUSBAND and wife Grant and Trista Dixon combined to win the feature, the $20,450 Paleface Adios 2YO Classic (1660m) at Albion Park last Saturday night.
Trista, driving in a rich vein of form, took the reins on Kevin Seymour’s well-bred filly Red Charmer (Mr Feelgood-Rhapsody In Red) for an upset win as a $16.90 outsider.
Red Charmer became Rhapsody In Red’s seventh individual winner from just eight foals to race.
Rhapsody In Red’s success in the breeding barn has followed a superb racetrack career which netted 23 wins and 12 placings from 44 starts and $167,715 in earnings.
Her best progeny have been Rani Major (13 wins, $246,434), Raring To Go (13 wins, $190,218) and Rich Heritage (21 wins, $176,528).
Red Charmer’s win was part of yet another dominant Albion Park meeting for the Dixons, with Grant training half of the 10 winners on the card.
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FORMER Kiwi gelding Chantrey ran his rivals ragged in last Saturday night’s $30,600 Group 3 Wagga Cup.
The race was billed as a match-race between classy pacers Brallos Pass and Spare Me Days, but they had to be content with second and third respectively behind a dominant Chantrey driven by Chris Geary.
Chantrey pounced on the front from gate four, held-off an early challenge from Spare Me Days then had Brallos Pass come and sit parked, but still won well by 3.9m in a 1min59sec mile rate for the long 2575m trip.
On the same card, former young Kiwi horseman Jack Trainor had a night to remember.
Trainor drove Maxentius and Shez Sugarsweet to victory in the Wagga Derby and Oaks respectively. Both were trained by Blake Fitzpatrick.
It capped a big week for Trainor, who also topped 200 career wins in the sulky.
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A CHANGE of tactics helped former classy Kiwi pacer Mighty Flying Mac break a drought from the winner’s circle.
In contrast to recent runs, trainer Brent Lilley notified stewards Mighty Flying Mac would be driven from off the pace and he enjoyed sitting back in a hotly-run 2240m race.
The seven-year-old finished powerfully to win in a slick 1min55.7sec mile rate.
It was his first win since coming off a 30m handicap to score at Addington back on April 8, last year.
On the same card, Nicole Molander landed the quinella in the two-year-old race when Passions Delight led throughout to beat stablemate Saphirique in a cosy 1min59.6sec mile rate for 1720m.
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WA DERBY hopeful Im Rockaria bounced-back to form winning the $25,000 Battle of Bunbury last Saturday night.
In a powerhouse display of his best form, Michael “Mouse” Brennan’s gelding smashed a handy field by 9.5m in a 1min56.4sec mile rate for 2100m.
Gary Hall Jr drove Im Rockaria and capped a big night by also winning aboard Justin Prentice’s filly Im Stylish in the Race for Roses.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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