By Adam Hamilton
SHANE Tritton is not afraid to make big statements.
And, more often than not, his horses live-up to the trainer’s bold predictions.
A couple of months back he said Salty Robyn was good enough to win the Chariots Of Fire and most people laughed knowing that’s where All Stars’ glamour duo Lazarus and Our Waikiki Beach were headed.
Nine consecutive wins later and Salty Robyn has beaten Our Waikiki Beach and is now second favourite, behind on Lazarus, for the Chariots Of Fire on February 11.
He was a $51 shot when Tritton started talking him up and now he’s into $5.
Salty Robyn sat parked in a blazing 1min49.2sec mile rate two runs back, but it was last Saturday night’s win a 1min50.8sec mile – again sitting parked much of the trip – which rates as his most important so far.
Despite doing the work, the son of Art Official ripped home in 55.1 and 27.4sec to win easily by 5.3m.
“He’s getting better and better. I really thought we could beat Waikiki. All along I’ve said it’s Lazarus, not Waikiki, we have to beat in the Chariots.
“I’m not afraid of Lazarus. He’s an amazing horse, but Salty is absolutely flying and I’m looking forward to meeting Lazarus.”
Our Waikiki Beach opened this campaign with just one loss in 24 starts, but he’s run third and eighth in two runs back.
In his defence, it would have been almost impossible to keep going after absolutely burning through an opening quarter in 25.8sec, being headed-off then re-taking the front.
Salty Robyn had him beaten on the last bend and driver John McCarthy didn’t punish Our Waikiki Beach when he was beaten. He finished 12.2m from the winner.
Tritton hopes to have a second Chariots runner in the form of his exciting recent stable addition Anything For Love.
After two blazing wins at his first two starts for the trainer, he ran a monstrous race when deep most of the way and second in a 1min51.7sec mile at Menangle last Saturday night.
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A LAST-START third to Lazarus looked great form on paper and that’s how it panned-out when former Kiwi pacer No Doctor Needed won his first Aussie run at Menangle last Saturday night.
It was a timely reminder of how good his sire, Mach Three, was on the weekend the stallion passed away.
No Doctor Needed left NZ with a third to Lazarus in the Cambridge Mile and dropped back sharply in grade to an M0 (metro maiden) for his first start in the Paul Fitzpatrick barn.
Driven patiently at the rear by Gavin Fitzpatrick, No Doctor Needed made a sweeping run four and five-wide from the 600m, hit the front and the top of the straight and held-on well to win by 1.3m in a 1min56.1sec.
It was an inspired move to send the six-year-old to Aussie where he looks set to quickly cruise through the classes.
Another impressive Menangle winner last Saturday night was former Victorian pacer Mach Doro, who posted a 1min51.3sec with Luke McCarthy aboard.
Mach Doro, a former handy juvenile with Geoff Webster, has now won four of his five starts since moving to NSW.
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EMERGING pacer Tact Tate made the most of Have Faith In Me’s bad manners to win the free-for-all at Ballarat last Saturday night.
While Mark Purdon wrested with a galloping Have Faith In Me at the start and eventually got him going after giving the leaders almost 100m headstart, Tact Tate zipped straight to the lead.
Trainer-driver Amanda Turnbull crawled through 31.5 and 30.4sec splits early, still dawdled a 30.8sec from the 800m to 400m and exploded.
Tact Tate ran a staggering 25.8sec last quarter to win by 2.7m in a slow 1min57.9sec mile rate for 1710m.
Have Faith In Me amazingly made-up his 100m quickly, looped the field to sit parked, but the effort to chase took its toll late and he weakened to finish fifth.
His effort to finish just 8.1m from the winner was monstrous.
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A QUIET night at Geelong proved a smorgasbord for champion Kiwi trainer-driver Mark Purdon last Thursday.
Purdon took his two Victoria Derby contenders Vincent and Motu Meteor down the highway for a hitout ahead of the Derby heats and both won as they liked.
As an added bonus, another of his former three-year-olds, You Gotta Have Faith, also went there and made a winning start with new trainer Nicole Molander … with Purdon taking the reins.
You Gotta Have Faith is also Derby-bound.
Of the trio, Vincent looked the sharpest as he took his record to six wins and a second from just seven starts.
Vincent won under a tight hold by 5.5m in a 1min58.7sec mile rate for 2100m and closing splits of 57.3 and 27.7sec.
You Gotta Have Faith was first of the trio to win, working around the field from a back row draw to take the lead and win by 3.6m in a 2min1.5sec mile for 2100m. He ran home in 58.4 and 28.6sec.
Motu Meteor zipped to the front from gate four and won by 7.6m in 2min0.7sec. He closed in 58.3 and 28.3sec.
With unbeaten Victorian star The Storm Inside suffering a canon bone fracture and sidelined for at least six months, Vincent will head into a Derby a commanding favourite.
He’s owned by Victorian Jean Feiss, who has enjoyed huge success with Purdon, most notably in recent times with Messini and Spanish Armada.
Vincent is by Art Major out of former star filly Kept For Pleasure (by Safely Kept). She raced 37 times for 19 wins – including the Australian Gold 2YO final, Victoria Oaks and Breeders Crown 4YO final. She also placed 10 times and won $542,343.
As a mum, she’s had four foals to race for three winners with My Mackenzie (19 starts, 8 wins, 7 placings) the best of them before Vincent.
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STILL on Purdon and his classy young mare A Piccadilly Princess made it two wins from as many runs in Victoria this campaign with an easy Ballarat win last Saturday night.
In contrast to her narrow and gritty Melton win, A Piccadilly Princess led, cruised through a 63sec middle half then zipped home in 55.3 and 26.0sec to win as she liked.
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IT is rare a NSW trotter can beat Victoria’s best, but On Thunder Road is doing just that.
Trained and driven by Darren Hancock, the seven-year-old easily beat a strong field in last Saturday night’s Group 2 Cochran Trotters Cup (2200m).
It stamped him as a major player for the Group 1 Great Southern Star – now just a one-off race without heats – on Hunter Cup night (February 4) at Melton.
Hancock took the son of Bettors Delight straight to the front from gate four, rolled through a 60.5sec middle half then dashed home in 57.4 and 28.2sec for a slick 1min58.2sec mile rate,
Former classy juvenile High Gait stepped into open class, trailed the winner and ran a good second.
Tim Butt’s Kiwi raider Daryl Boko drew the back row, handy a good sit through the race, but just plugged into sixth spot.
Mark Purdon’s Prince Fearless, on the comeback trail from a long spell, broke early in the race and lost all chance.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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