“Like a bolt of lightning”, and “the race we’ve all been waiting for”, are very familiar terms in sport, but it’s doubtful they’ve ever been used in the same context.
Until last Wednesday’s race meeting at Bathurst’s Group One Feeds Paceway, that is.
Three races down, on an eight-race card, and the storm clouds which had been threatening for hours finally unleashed, and a heavy dump of rain was followed by an electrical storm which forced the field warming up for race four off the track and back to the safety of the barn.
And that’s where they remained for the next two hours, as stewards, observing OH&S rules and motivated by the welfare of drivers and horses, repeatedly put back starting times before announcing an indefinite delay, until the storm cell passed and it was safe to return to the track.
“The race we’d all been waiting for”, a C3-C5 sprint, was taken out by the Steve Turnbull/ Mat Rue combination, with Abbey Cullen NZ ($8.70) sprinting sharply from mid-field to account for leader Kapow Shannon and Likeallofus, which came hard along the sprint lane. The last half was put by in 56.6 seconds, for a 1:55.4 mile rate, the night’s fastest.
It was a fitting result for the resumption of racing, bringing up a training and driving double, respectively, for the pair, who are leading those premierships at Bathurst this season. They each drove another winner in following races, to convert those to trebles, and additionally give Steve Turnbull his own driving double.
Mat Rue’s other winners were Soeur De Lyse ($3.40, for Ben Settree ), in a 3YO+ sprint, and Karloo Ten Seventy ($2.50 favourite, for Barry Lew), in the third C1-C2 Soldiers Saddle heat.
Soeur De Lyse led throughout, to give Rue win number 50 on the new Bathurst track in just over 12 months, but the result was equally memorable for Oberon student Holly Newson, who drove Mysterious Bliss into a fast-finishing second at her first race drive.
Karloo Ten Seventy was very impressive in working forward three-wide, with cover, over the final lap of his Soldiers Saddle heat, to easily put pay to Spare The Price, which led the three-wide line, and leader Stellagray. He was first-up after a lengthy break, from a career-threatening injury, and the Lews were afterwards relieved and hopeful he can improve on his second in last year’s event.
Steve Turnbull had earlier secured a final berth for another Dubbo couple, Jeff and Nea Costello, when scoring a last-stride win with Happy To Go NZ ($2.90) in heat one, courtesy of a blistering final quarter in 27.5 seconds which was good enough to collar a gallant Tulhurst Ace and leader Zelus.
Mister Jogalong, the $2.20 favourite in this heat, broke in the early stages and dropped back to the tail of the field, before running home well for fourth, to give Dubbo three qualifiers for Friday’s rich final.
Turnbull’s other winner came up in the final race, of a very late night, with The Revenue Raiser ($7.30) at last fulfilling the promise glimpsed in some of his earlier runs, by working to the death and out-toughing leader Miles Above and late-closer Old Jack Cambo.
Winner of the middle heat, Sams Cam ($2.10 favourite, Nathan Xuereb), will also receive strong support for the final, after leading throughout to defeat Sonny Studleigh and Usher, with a last half in just 58.7 but looking to have plenty in reserve. He had impressed everyone with a brilliant finish to win at the track several starts earlier, showing that he doesn’t have to win to take out the final.
Leeton trainer David Eurell enjoyed the win of his good filly Gotta Bewitched NZ (2.40 favourite, Todd McCarthy ), which led throughout in a 3YO sprint, recording her sixth win in 10 lifetime starts, but he couldn’t have been looking forward to the long trip home, and an estimated arrival time of 4 a.m. after that long delay earlier.
This win, and that of The Revenue Raiser later, gave a siring double to Alabar’s promising young sire Gotta Go Cullect, whose own sire Christian Cullen was represented by the earlier winner Abbey Cullen.
Trent Rue wasn’t content to let cousin Mat grab all of the limelight – and in the conditions, there was plenty of that to be had – by using the sprint lane to good effect with Our Lansdowne Road ($6.40, for father Greg) in a 4YO sprint, with a last half in 57.8 seconds.
The winner continues for his Reuters journalist part-owner a succession of famous Rugby names – he’s a half-brother to Cardiff Arms, Twickenham and Parc De Princes, all iconic grounds in that sport attended by this lucky owner.
One plus from the Bathurst delay was a tote win pool of almost $20,000 for that next race. It’s always been accepted that false starts can help swell the pool, even to the point where club officials are happy to cop a false start, but it’s another thing altogether to arrange a “light show” on this scale!
The final of the Soldiers Saddle Series is the feature race this Friday night at Bathurst, and it will whet the appetite for the $50,000 Group Two Shirley Turnbull Memorial, part of the Carnival of Cups meeting on Boxing Night,
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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