The barrier draw will be crucial for Saturday night’s $10,000 Spring Challenge final following three ultra-competitive heats at Globe Derby Park last week.
Two of the three qualifying heats resulted in three-way photos to decide the results while the other resulted in an all-the-way win for the heavily backed odds-on favourite.
Irrespective of the draw, there will be no odds-on favourite in Saturday’s final.
Brodie Webster’s grandfather, the legendary Dick Webster, would have been proud of his grandson’s effort to land Arrokeefe a winner of heat one, the Ubet Spring Challenge (1800m).
Webster began quickly from gate six but looked certain to be trapped wide but realising his predicament eased and miraculously dropped into the running line, midfield with a great trail.
The $2.10 favourite Courageous Cruz led and driver Ryan Hryhorec got away with a pedestrian 32.7 second, second quarter but Matthew Jacques on Royal Safari, which was outside the lead, put the pressure on from the 600-metre mark.
As a result, Webster was able to bring Arrokeefe ($10.60) wide around the home turn and the gelding sprinted strongly to gather in the leaders and score a neck win from the Toby Ryan-trained Melegend ($5.60) which came along the sprint lane to grab second with Royal Safari ($5.10), prepared by Bill Cormack, a short half head away third.
Favourite Courageous Cruz faded to fourth.
Trainer Rodney Clarke came away with a problem despite all all-the-way win by Ashkii in the Lion Pty Ltd Spring Challenge heat two.
Ashkii ($1.85 into $1.50 favourite), driven by Wayne Hill, led throughout to score a four metre win from the Cheryl Herman-trained Millwood Chloe ($22.80) with More Than A Dream ($153.60), prepared by Robin Maguire, 5-1/2 metres away third.
Justa Working Guy, from the Heather Stevens stable, was fourth and qualified for the final.
The concern for Port Pirie-based Clarke is that the five-year-old tended to get his head up over the final stages and drifted out to the centre of the track.
“I put a nose roll on him and it worked in trackwork, but not under race conditions tonight,” Clarke said.
“I will have to keep tinkering with his gear to get him right.”
Ashkii has been a good purchase for the stable and was its sixth win for connections.
For Hill, it was his first win on the five-year-old, having driven it twice previously for seconds.
The Trotsguide.Com.Au Spring Challenge heat three produced the closest finish of the heats.
Smiling Crest ($1.80 – $2 favourite) produced a tough performance to grab a short half head victory right on the line from front-runner Artegra ($18), trained and driven by Scott Ewen, with Antaeus Blue Chip ($11.70), from the Dominic Tattoli, a half head away third.
Blackntan ($4.10), trained by John Hill came home fourth and qualified for this week’s final.
The winner is trained by Toby Ryan and was driven by his wife Lisa.
It was his third straight win for the five-year-old which is also owned by the trainer.
Smiling Crest went for the lead from gate two but was crossed by Artegra (gate three) but Leopold Bloom also came out quick to take the spot outside the leader.
The winner was left flat-footed when Ewen upped the tempo going into the back straight and Smiling Crest looked to have the job ahead coming off the back.
With Ryan driving hard, Smiling Crest kept coming and put his head out right on the line.
The 11-horse final will be run this Saturday night at Globe Derby Park.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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