by Adam Hamilton
This time last year Yankee Rockstar was gravely ill and fighting for his life. Now he is one of the most exciting pacers in Australasia.
His barnstorming win in Saturday’s Kilmore Cup against a seriously strong line-up ended a stellar campaign.
Yankee Rockstar heads for a spell with his connections, including well-known Aussie media man Andrew Bensley, buzzing about what lies ahead.
“This has been the most amazing ride. All credit to Emma (Stewart) and Clayton (Tonkin) for the way they’ve brought him back and carefully chosen his races this campaign,” Bensley said.
“This campaign was all about giving him a try in the big races without going all the way. He’s answered every challenge.”
Yankee Rockstar has won four of his past five starts and finished a luckless fourth in the Hunter Cup at the other. But it’s been his past two wins in the Group 1 Cranbourne Cup and Group 2 Kilmore Cup which have really turned heads.
At Kilmore he came from near last, around the whole field, and stormed past proven top level stars like Beautide and Ohoka Punter.
“He’s just got better and better this time in work,” driver Gavin Lang said. “When they went so hard early (at Kilmore) it gave him a chance, but you’ve still got to be very, very good to come from that far back and run them down.”
The lead time of 77.8sec for the 2690m was easily the fastest ever run ay Kilmore and set-up when outsider Glenferrie Hood led, Ohoka Punter challenged and dual Inter-Dominion winner Beautide surged forward three-wide.
Eventually Ohoka Punter found the lead and Beautide sat parked, but they spent plenty of petrol. Ohoka Punter had Beautide beaten on the home bend and looked the winner before Yankee Rockstar stormed down the outside and snatched victory by a half neck.
Ohoka Punter’s inside lugging pole broke loose early in the race and he was wayward at times, but driver Anthony Butt refused to blame it for the defeat.
“He was beaten by a better horse on the night,” Butt said.
Beautide tried hard and ran a mighty third, but once again he was unable to win a big race outside of NSW.
As great as he is, the knockers will argue dominating at Menangle is not enough to put Beautide alongside modern greats like Blacks A Fake, Im Themightyquinn and Smoken Up.
Yankee Rockstar’s win headed a breathtaking night of sheer dominance by co-trainers Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin with four wins at Kilmore.
They also won with two-year-old debutante Our Celebrity in the Sapling Stakes, brilliant three-year-old filly Heavens Trend and classy mare Lovelist.
Our Celebrity was crunched from $1.90 to $1.60, pounced on the lead and won as she liked by 7.4m in a 1.57.8 mile rate for 1690m.
“We really like her,” Stewart said. “She’s as good as any filly we have among the babies this season.”
Heavens Trend was one of Australasia’s best juvenile fillies last season with six wins from 10 starts and a 1.52.1 mile at Menangle.
“She had a busy season so we gave her a long break and she’s come back well,” Stewart said.
Heavens Trend led and was never out of second gear winning by 8.5m in a 2.00.2 mile rate for 2180m.
Four-year-old mare Lovelist’s win in the sixth race was one of the best performances of the night.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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