NZ HARNESS NEWS
Temporale completed his ascension to the top of the trotting mountain with a fine win in the Group 1 $100,000 Winger Motors National Trot at Alexandra Park on Sunday afternoon.
He knuckled down late to reel in the favourite Speeding Spur in the shadows of the post and in the process, earn himself a second open class Group 1 trot in 2017 after the Rowe Cup earlier in the year.
The Tony Herlihy-trained and driven son of Monarchy must now be credited as the best trotter in the country after beating the existing benchmark, Speeding Spur, fairly and squarely in his last two races – both at Group level.
“It was a good effort to get up and beat Speeding Spur by my fella,” said Herlihy
“We did get a nice run but he had to be good to win.
“I think Speeding Spur came to the end of it but my fella dug in and kept fighting.
“I was certainly very happy with him and where he is at.”
More than likely a trip to Australia now beckons for Herlihy and his stable star, with the rich A$300,000 Great Southern Star at Melton on January 27 the main focus.
“He’ll go to Cambridge this week for a run left-handed in the Flying Stakes ($30,000) and I’ll assess him after that.
“But I’m pretty sure that if everything is right with him we will be heading to Aussie.
“We’d be silly not to go with the race worth $300,000.”
Herlihy has trained many winners in the past 17 years as trainer, but knows just how hard it is to find true Group 1 performers.
Accordingly, he is just happy to have a horse good enough to win the elite races and allow him to travel across the ditch chasing riches.
“They are very hard to get, that’s for sure.
“It’s great to have another nice horse in the barn.”
Speeding Spur held on for second while the Australian visitor Kyvalley Blur finished on well in to third ahead of Yagunnakissmeornot.
NZ Harness News
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