By Adam Hamilton
THE “All Stars” raid on the Australian Gold series continues at Menangle today (Tuesday).
Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen staked their claim in the colts and geldings series when Sicario looked fantastic winning at Menangle last Tuesday.
Now it’s Just Makemine Diamonds’ turn in a heat of the fillies’ series. She’s drawn gate five in the first of today’s heats (race three).
The fact Sicario won so impressively last week speaks volumes for Just Makemine Diamonds, given her only start was a second to Sicario at Invercargill on April 2.
Another All Stars filly, Bare Knuckle, ran third in the Invercargill race and then finished a close-up fourth in the strong Sires’ Stake heat at Addington last Saturday.
There are no standouts among the Aussie fillies in the Gold given the stunningly exciting My Sweetchilliphilly is not eligible and out having a spell.
THIS is like the second-coming of Nicole Molander.
The decorated former Kiwi trainer-driver made her splash in Australia through the deeds of champion trotter Keystone Del.
As fantastic as those days were, this season could be even more rewarding for Molander and her husband, Dean.
That’s because it’s not just about horse, more about the depth of quality in their stable, especially the “babies.”
There is exciting two-year-old trotter One Muscle Hill, who is campaigning in NZ, but also two leading Australian Gold 2YO fillies’ contenders in Saphirique and Passions Delight.
Both looked ultra-impressive winning their Gold heats at Melton last Thursday night.
Saphirique was first-up, sitting behind the leader Our Chateau Lafite, and using the sprint lane for driver Gavin Lang to win by 3.8m in a slick 1min56.2sec mile rate for 1720m.
Then came Passions Delight, who looked even better. She led, was pressured through the early and middle stages by main danger Amelias Courage, but kicked away to win easily by 6.2m in a quickest of the night 1min56sec mile rate Lang aboard.
Importantly for Molander, both are owned by high profile US-based owner-breeders Marc Hanover and Gordon Banks.
In a boost for the Victorians, this year’s Gold fillies’ semis and final are at Melton on April 28 and May 6.
As usual, Emma Stewart was also a key player in the Victorian heats with two wins last Thursday night – both with superbly-bred fillies.
The first was Nostra Beach, a half-sister to recent Victoria Oaks winner Miss Graceland, and Molly Kelly, a baby sister to recently-retired champion mare Frith.
Molander’s pair went much quicker, but Nostra Beach won as she liked in a 1min59.8sec mile rate, while Molly Kelly dug deep for a narrow win in 1min58.2sec.
There are more heats of the Gold fillies’ series at Menangle and Albion Park tomorrow (Tuesday).
MUCH-TRAVELLED former Kiwi star Ohoka Punter won more fans in defeat than he probably would have in victory in last Thursday night’s Group 3 Easter Cup (2902m) at Gloucester Park.
Ohoka Punter opened the next phase of his career with Gary Hall Sr with an impressive Gloucester Park win a week earlier, so connections opted to run him off a daunting 50m backmark in the Easter Cup.
In the end, it wasn’t the handicap but the mystifying tactics of a rival driver which cost Ohoka Punter another win.
Heavily-backed second elect Galactic Star worked forward to grab the lead from stablemate Assassinator with veteran Shardons Rocket outside the leader and Ohoka Punter quickly catching the field, but back second-last.
Driver Gary Hall Jr made his with two laps to go, but a gasp went through the crowd when driver Kyle Harper on $62 shot Shardons Rocket booted-up in the breeze and tried to post Ohoka Punter three-wide in a scorching 27.3sec first quarter of the last mile.
Ohoka Punter eventually got to the breeze and did a mighty job to fight-on for third, just 4.3m from the winner, Assassinator, who came off the leader’s back to snatch victory.
Shardons Rocket was beaten down the back straight and finished ninth, more than 20m from the winner. Stewards queried the drive.
Ohoka Punter’s massive run only underlined why he should be a major player in the Perth Inter Dominion later this year.
VICTORIAN mare Bettor Downunder has always shown glimpses of Group 1 ability.
But driver Mick Stanley now firmly believes the Wayne Ronan-trained mare ready to win at the top level.
Stanley admitted to being a tad “in awe” of the mare when she did all the work and thrashed a handy field around a tight track in the Group 3 Ararat Cup last Saturday night.
Her mile rate, on one of Victoria slower tracks, was an impressive 1min58.8sec for 2195m.
“She’s always given the feel of being top shelf, but all credit to Wayne (Ronan) and he’s been patient and done a fantastic job with her,” Stanley said.
“She’s won her past two sitting parked and just left her rivals standing when I’ve said go.
“The way she’s going, she’s going to be a serious player in the Queen Of The Pacific (May 20). She certainly deserves her chance in a race like that.”
IT was Sugars and Alford show at last Sunday’s Warragul Cup meeting.
The superstar pair won seven of the eight races between them, but Sugars snared the big prize – the $30,000 Group 3 Warragul Cup – aboard the Lee Evison-trained Mister Wickham.
It was one of the career highs for Evison, who spent some valuable early years in NZ with Barry Purdon and now mixes pre-training thoroughbreds with training pacers.
Mister Wickham, a son of Julius Caesar, has always promised to make a serious horse after being bought by clients of Evison’s as a juvenile.
The now five-year-old has raced just 38 times for 17 wins, 12 placings and $180,445.
Mister Wickham’s speed has always been his best asset and that proved the difference when he grabbed a three-wide trail from last behind his main danger, Four Ex Dan, and finished too strongly in a 56.6sec split to win by 3.2m.
Sugars snared the big double by training and driving former Kiwi trotter Great Things Happen to a dominant win in the Trotters’ Cup.
His other driving win came aboard Beau Reve in the opening race.
Alford landed a quartet of wins, including Stone Of Destiny in the third race, who is part-owned by AFL Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley and the team’s captain, Scott Pendlebury.
FORMER Kiwi filly My Venice Beach has quickly made an impact in Australia.
The daughter of Somebeachsomewhere raced 12 times in NZ for two wins, a second and a third.
But her two Aussie runs for new trainer-driver Blake Fitzpatrick have resulted in two wins, the second of them in exciting style by 16.8m in the Golden Easter Egg at Fairfield last Sunday.
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