NZ HARNESS NEWS
Natalie Rasmussen couldn’t fault the New Zealand record-breaking performance of Heaven Rocks at Addington tonight.
Heaven Rocks, the second favourite behind stablemate Lazarus for the Christchurch Casino New Zealand Cup at Addington on Tuesday week, November 14, is peaking at the right time.
“He was nice and kind tonight,” said Rasmussen, his co-trainer and driver tonight.
“He stepped good and clean. Everything was good with him.”
Heaven Rock has been scintillating at times during 11 wins from 19 starts, but the big horse has also been a handful and his own worst enemy on the odd occasions when he’s been beaten.
However, this season his manners have been very good.
It was a heel problem that led to a sub-standard run first-up run at Addington on October 5, but he bounced back quickly for improver’s third behind stablemates, Lazarus and Dream About Me, in the Ashburton Flying Stakes on October 23, then stepped up again last night.
Heaven Rocks led Dream About Me over the last 1250m and was just too quick in the run home, coming clear in 3:10.1 for the stand start 2600m (a 1:57.5 mile rate) on a balmy Christchurch night.
This shaved 0.6 of a second off the previous NZ record, set by Franco Nelson in a lead-up to the Easter Cup at Addington in March.
Heaven Rocks, a five-year-old Rock N Roll Heaven gelding, was four back beginning the last 1609m, cut out by the leaders in 1:56, with the winner striding home from the 800m in 56.6s and putting the foot down over the final 400m in 26.6s.
Tim Williams, driving runner-up Dream About Me, who led briefly at the 1300m before taking a trail behind Heaven Rocks, was pleased with the run of last season’s Auckland Cup winner.
“We only really sprinted for the last 250m of the last quarter too so we couldn’t really go any faster,” Williams said.
The start of the seven-horse Handicap Pace wasn’t a good spectacle, with only four winning chances left soon after the start.
Among those to lose their winning chance were two of the other All Stars team, New Zealand Cup contender Have Faith In Me, and smart four-year-old Ultimate Machete.
The second division were beaten off 37 lengths behind third and fourth placegetters, James Dean and Mighty Flying Major.
Nathan Purdon said Have Faith In Me was going up and down before the tapes were released and just didn’t catch the start at the right time.
“Once he did get away he stepped away quick,” Nathan Purdon said.
Champion driver Dexter Dunn made the final NRM Sires Stakes Heat a survival of the fittest on the front-end with Alta Maestro, trained by his father Robert, who held out the challenge of favourite Spankem (Mark Purdon) by a head.
Alta Maestro, who had several challengers in the open, and fought tenaciously when Spankem looked like he might have the last say, paced the 1950m in 2:17 (a 1:53 mile rate).
This was only 0.5 of a second outside Ultimate Machete’s NZ 3YO record, set in last year’s Sires Stakes Final.
Alta Maestro, an impressive Art Major colt, ran his last mile in 1:54.1 in front to qualify for the $170,000 Group 1 Final on Tuesday week.
Spankem, last season’s top 2YO, had a great run through early from the second row to settle two and three back on the outer and lost no admirers for the final.
The Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen All Stars team dominated the Sires Stakes 3YO Fillies Heat, running the trifecta.
Last season’s top juvenile filly Elle Mac resumed on a winning note in the hands of Natalie Rasmussen, moving up in the open over the last 900m and scoring a half-neck win over front-running Bettor Trix (Mark Purdon), with the third of the Allstars, Delight In Me (Tim Williams), 1 and 1/4 lengths back third.
Elle Mac rated 1:57.4 for the 1950m, the leaders last 800m in 56s.
- NZ Harness News
, the second favourite for the Christchurch Casino New Zealand Cup at Addington on Tuesday week, November 14.
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