By Adam Hamilton
YES she keeps getting the gun barriers, but star Perth mare Libertybelle Midfrew is back flying.
The Mike Reed-trained mare drew the pole for the third consecutive time and made it three wins on end in the $50,000 Group 2 Mount Eden at Gloucester Park last Friday night.
This is a was a very serious test.
Driver Shannon Suvaljko pushed through to easily hold the lead and had a comfy first lap, but things hotted-up when buzz pacer Beaudiene Boaz worked forward from a wide draw to sit parked and pour on the pressure.
The pair sizzled through a 28.2sec second split of the last mile and then quickened again for a 27.1sec split down the back straight.
Libertybelle Midfrew had Beaudiene Boaz beaten on the home bend, but Run Oneover pulled out of the one-one trail and looked the winner.
In a gutsy effort, Libertybelle Midfrew fought-off Run Oneover and Heez On Fire along the inside to win by a neck in a sharp 1min54.3sec mile rate for 2130m.
Beaudiene Boaz remains a query horse for the Perth Inter Dominion, but he did run a mighty race to finish fourth, just 4.7m from the winner after doing all the work.
“I think his run was outstanding to finish only a length or so from the winner in that time after sitting parked,” trainer Gary Hall Sr said.
“The way it works over here, he just can’t get a decent barrier. Put him in front and I don’t think there’s a horse in the land who will get around him.”
THE “brand” name has changed, but the strike rate continues to be impressive.
Shane Tritton has been a breath of fresh air in Australia’s training ranks and he reached a major career milestone with his 1000thwinner when Blue Moon Rising won at Bathurst last Wednesday night.
Tritton, who married Lauren Panella in Hawaii earlier this year, recently formalised the training partnership as Shane and Lauren Tritton.
“It’s really satisfying. And it happened pretty quickly, really,” Tritton said.
“I trained one horse as I went through university, but only turned professional seven years ago. This is my eighth year.”
Tritton was just as excited about the fact his two stable stars, Arms Of An Angel and Lombo Kotakinabalu, are close to racetrack returns.
“Lombo is ready. He trialled well at Menangle (last) Tuesday and will return in a low-key race at Menangle on Sunday just to get a run under his belt,” he said.
“Gracie (Arms Of An Angel) is getting through some strong work now and is only a few weeks away.
“At this stage she will return in the Norms Daughter (Menangle, November 19), but there is a chance she could be back a bit earlier if she really pleases us.
“It’s great to have two really exciting horses like them in the stable as we head towards the big races.”
WINNING was a problem for trotter K D Muscles in NZ, but it has proven a different story in Australia.
She was a real bridesmaid in NZ with just one win from 42 starts, but since joining Andy Gath’s stable she has won seven of her 12 runs and roared through the grades.
The daughter of Muscle Mass, who is owned by Norm Jenkin of Flashing Red fame, has won both runs this campaign.
Driver Kate Gath took K D Muscles to the front at Melton last Friday and she always looked in control, while main danger My Tribeca was bailed-up three pegs and eventually galloped, losing all chance.
K D Muscles ran home in 58.4sec to win by 2.6m in a 2min0.6sec mile rate for 2240m.
Another mare to starred on the night was Emma Stewart’s exciting pacer Berisari, who resumed with a narrow but fantastic win.
First-up for three months, Berisari sat parked outside stablemate Our Missionary Man and snatched victory in the last stride in a 55.2sec last half and 1min56sec mile rate for 2240m.
ANTHONY Butt keep clocking up the wins as he prepares for a return “home” for NZ Cup Week.
Butt won half the eight-race card at Cranbourne last Saturday night.
He teamed with Brent Lilley for a double when Peter Perfect and Our Jimmie saluted.
And Butt also won aboard Precious Desire – trained by his partner Sonya Smith – and the Lee Evison-trained Expectagrin.
Butt is headed to Addington in a couple of weeks to drive Lilley’s pair Messini in the Cup and Kyvalley Blur in the feature trotting races.
IT was a hometown win for Wayne Hill when he upstaged some of the sport’s biggest names to win the Australian Drivers’ Championship at Globe Derby last Saturday night.
Hill, who snared a win and a third from the six heats, led home an SA quinella with Ryan Hryhorec finishing second with Gary Hall Jtr in third spot.
TOP trainer Grant Dixon won half the card at Albion Park last Saturday night.
Dixon drove three of the winners (Fioka, Our Charisma and Our Overannova) while his wife, Trista, drove the other two (The Black Assassin and Major Strike).
Just for good measure they snared the quinella in the last with Our Overanova beating Blue Do, trained by Grant and driven by Trista.
EXCITING pacer Cruz Bromac made an impressive return to racing at last Sunday’s Maryborough Cup meeting.
The gifted, but sometimes wayward five-year-old, came around from the back row to take the lead and thrashed a handy field by 7.4m in a solid 1 min58.7sec mile rate for 2190m.
It was his first since finishing third at Menangle on February 28, this year.
The Dean Braun-trained gelding has won seven of his 13 starts and definitely has Grand Circuit potential with further maturity and tractability.
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