The sweetest wins are those that are unexpected, and South Australian pin up horse Come On Frank is no different.
Part-owner-trainer-driver Darren Billinger headed to Victor Harbor on Easter Sunday hoping his champ could finish “fourth or fifth” in the Adelaide Fuel Distributors Easter Cup (2160m).
But Frank took matters into his own hooves and produced a stunning three metre win as a $9.30 chance beating Mark Dennis ($22.80) with Lovable Larrikin ($12.80) two metres away third delighting the other part-owners Julie and Jody Billinger.
It was Come On Frank’s 59th win from a 122 start career and proved the eight-year-old is not quite ready for retirement.
“After his last two efforts we had been thinking of retiring him because he means too much to us to have him running around making up the numbers,” Billinger said.
“Because of his record, in South Australia, he is always going to draw poorly and it is getting too tough to give away starts to the best in the state.
“We’ve had a couple of holidays since his last run and his trackwork is never a guide so we came to Victor hoping he could be competitive.
“The way the race developed with Whats Emma Got leading and Some Kinda Tactics going to outside the lead there was good pace and Frank was travelling well back in the field.”
Billinger said Come On Frank had decided he was going to stamp his mark on the race going into the back straight.
“I pulled him out to make ground on the leaders but as soon as he saw daylight he decided he was off and as a result he sprinted up and actually took the lead with 300 metres still to go.
“He is not the sort of horse to fight because if you try to restraining him he thinks the job is done, but also if he gets to the front too soon he can also knock off and coming into the straight I thought we could be in trouble but he actually went to the line well.”
Billinger raised his whip in celebration when he realised victory was Come On Frank’s and admitted he had been quite emotional.
“He has proved yet again just what a great horse he is.”
Come On Frank rated 1:59.2 which was only 0.2 outside the track record of Glenferrie Hustler. Credit to the ground staff the track was in great order but windy conditions on the day made it tough for the fields, especially up the home straight.
Front runners weren’t really advantaged and Whats Emma Got, in her first test against the state’s best found it too tough fading to last while Some Kinda Tactics also found the going hard finishing sixth.
Billinger said he would nominate Come On Frank “everywhere” and make a decision on his next start when he felt the champ was best suited but on Sunday night would bask in the Easter Cup success.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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