By Michael Guerin
Racing world’s collided and then couldn’t be separated in the $100,000 Queen Of Hearts at Alexandra Park last night.
Auckland’s first group one pacing race of the season saw a rare top level deadheat, with favourite Partyon hitting the locked together with outsider Jo’s Dream. But it wasn’t just on the tote that the pair were poles apart.
Partyon is a towering multiple group one winner trained by the most powerful harness racing stable in Australasia and driven by co-trainer Natalie Rasmussen.
Jo’s Dream is a pony by comparison, with no flashy breeding and is trained by 31-year-old part timer Amanda Kiddie, whose day job is as a farrier, not an employment sector with too many female members.
The win was Kiddie’s first ever group one, as it was for young driver Andre Poutama.
And here they were, sharing the stage with the King and Queen of harness racing.
“I was excited when I thought we were going to run third,” said a stunned Kiddie.
“But to win a group one, with a little horse we have had since she was a baby, its amazing.”
Jo’s Dream added the fairytale element to a stunning night of harness racing where selecting the star of the support cast was a very open debate.
Chase Auckland remained unbeaten with a near national record win in the Alabar Classic for a thrilled syndicate of owners, with the win pure gold for Alabar as they stand his sire Auckland Reactor, who Chase Auckland legitimizes with every stride.
Vincent ended any argument over who will start favourite in the Auckland Cup on December 31 when he returned with a brave fresh up win against race fit opposition in the Franklin Cup, reaffirming the depth of the four-year-old crop.
Earlier Bettor Joy made the most of a perfect Dexter Dunn drive to win the Peter Breckon Memorial while Temporale thwarted Speeding Spur comeback in a nailbiting Rosslands Lyell Creek as harness racing as The Park came alive for summer.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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