By Adam Hamilton
DREAMS can come true … just ask Geoff Simpson.
The veteran Lithgow horseman drove in the first Bathurst Gold Crown – won by former Kiwi champ Master Musician – and has dreamt of winning it ever since.
Despite Lithgow being just down the road from Bathurst, getting another opportunity in the Crown final has proven elusive for Simson.
“After that first year where I finished ninth, I’d only had one other drive in before this (last night) and finished down the track as well,” Simpson said.
It was a case of third time lucky, albeit after a 27-year wait, when Simpson trained and drove Castalong Shadow to an upset win in last night’s $104,000 Group 1 Gold Crown final (1730m).
The race changed dramatically coming to the final bend when breakaway leader and $1.10 favourite Divine State went from cruising to gone and stopped abruptly.
Maximus Red challenged, then came Mackeral, but it was Simpson’s $24.70 outsider Castalong Shadow who powered away to win by 7.3m in a 1min55.2sec mile rate.
Divine State wilted to finish seventh, 28.6m from the winner and pulled-up distressed.
“I haven’t had one pull-up that exhausted. He stopped short of the tie-up stall, put his head down to the ground and just stood there,” Divine State’s trainer Shane Tritton said.
“Something was amiss, whether he’s got a virus or something. I could understand if he’d been beaten, but not like that. And not pulling up like that.
“Hopefully it’s nothing too serious. He seems better today.”
Putting his own disappointment aside, Tritton said he was thrilled for Simpson.
“I feel a bit of a connection to his horse,” Tritton said. “Castalong Shadow sat outside Divine State as his first state, put some pressure on and held-on well for second.
“Geoff came and congratulated us after that race and I said his horse went well. I actually asked if he’d sell his horse. To his credit he said no without even asking how much we’d offer.
“He’s been rewarded by winning a Group 1 at what’s virtually his home track and creating a memory which will never go away.”
PART-OWNER Kyle Mills summed-up it up best after wonderful mare Cyclone Kate won yet another feature race.
“What a great mare she’s been for us all. We are so lucky!” he said.
Cyclone Kate smashed the Bathurst 2260m track record with a 1min54.5sec mile rate for 2260m in the Bathurst Mayors Cup.
She left class runners like Ultimate Art (second) Yayas Hot Spot (third) and Tact Tate (fourth) in her wake.
Cyclone Kate, who has gone to another level since joining John McCarthy’s barn in Australia a couple of years back, now boasts 19 wins, 17 placings and $310,923 in stakemoney.
IT was only a consolation, but trainer Nicole Molander was thrilled after Passions Delight won the opening race at Bathurst last night (Saturday).
Owned by Marc Hanover and Gordon Banks, Passions Delight went into the Gold Tiara 2YO series one of the major players, but was buried in traffic and never looked happy when only third in her heat.
Driver Mat Rue took her straight to the front in the consolation and despite copping plenty of midrace pressure, Passions Delight opened-up to win without being extended by 11.3m in a 1min56.4sec mile rate for 1730m.
THE form through the recent NSW Oaks and NSW Derby during the big Carnival of Miracles at Menangle proved super strong at Bathurst.
Not much went right for trainer-driver Jason Grimson and his classy filly Dont Think Twice in the NSW Oaks series.
So dropping back slightly in grade and winning the Group 2 Bathurst Gold Bracelet was some consolation.
Dont Think Twice might be a tad short of the class of megastars like Partyon and Petacular, but she’s already built a fantastic record with 16 starts for nine wins, four placings and $139,445.
Atomic Red upstaged Ultimate Machete to win a heat of the NSW Derby then drew poorly in the final.
The Steve Turnbull-trained colt just did enough to hold the front from the pole then dug deep to beat another NSW Derby finalists Astride in the Group 2 Bathurst Gold Chalice final.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
