by Graham Fischer
The success of Adelaide standardbred syndicator Bruce Cameron in the Southern Cross series continued in 2017 but produced firsts of his own which impressed champion driver Gavin Lang.
Cameron’s first win on Saturday was in the Group 2 Ubet Three-Year-Old Fillies Southern Cross Final (2230m) where Perfect Look proved too strong for stablemate Our Celebrity.
His second victory came in the following race when That’s Perfect led throughout to win the Group 2 Ubet Two-Year-Old Colts & Geldings Southern Cross Final (1800m). As usual, both were trained in Victoria by Emma Stewart.
It was Cameron’s ninth overall winner in Southern Cross races but his first in a colts & geldings race but what took Lang’s attention was that his Saturday night winners were brother and sister, by Art Major out of the mare Perfect Life.
“I’m not sure that would have happened all that often,” Lang said. “It certainly is a wonderful achievement.”
Perfect Look’s victory in the Three-Year-Old Fillies final was the fourth straight success by a Cameron runner in that Southern Cross race – and his fifth overall.
The first success was in 2012 with Beauty Secret, then from 2014 it has been Punch Line, Lovelist and Rocknroll Magic which have been successful.
This year, Our Celebrity, with Lang in the sulky and the $1.50 favourite, was expected to follow her victory in the Two-Year-Old Fillies final last year with a win to complete the double but it was Perfect Look, driven by international reinsman Sidney Van den Brande, which proved too strong.
For Van den Brande, it was his first Group success, in a career which began in Europe and has seen him work in the United States before coming to Australia.
He drove the perfect race on Perfect Look ($3.70) which sat outside the leader Our Celebrity over the last lap before drawing clear to score by a metre with Canelliesparkle ($69), 20-1/2 metres away third.
Our Celebrity began well from gate five but the Vince Vallelonga-trained Lisa Crocker, driven by Jayden Brewin from gate one, came away quickly to lead, and while most expected Our Celebrity to roll to the front, Brewin kept the favourite out a bit longer than her supporters would have hoped.
Once in front, Lang eased the tempo markedly with a 32.8 second first quarter before improving for a 31.4 second quarter.
Once the speed back off, Van den Brande took Perfect Look from the running line to sit parked and helped dictate the tempo.
The pair went for home from the 600m mark with final quarters of 28.6 and 28.1 but it was Perfect Look which prevailed.
Cameron said he was in a position where he couldn’t lose up the home straight.
“Perfect Look was a bit of an unknown,” Cameron said. “She was a late starter and having only her fourth start. We knew she had ability and would improve and I’m happy for the owners which include Mary Hook from Orrorroo, and Sidney (Van den Brande).
“Sidney was under a bit of pressure last week with his four drives, all favourites, while this week he was able to focus on just one drive, with far less pressure, and he drove superbly.”
Cameron said Our Celebrity, having just her second run from a year off, found the winner just too good.
That’s Perfect, a red-hot $1.45 favourite, had an easy lead with Gavin Lang in the sulky, and scored a comfortable 6-1/2 metre win from Clarenden Valour ($10.50) which trailed the winner with Tin Roof Raider ($9.40), two metres away third, after sitting parked for the entire journey.
Cameron said he would see how all his Southern Cross runners came through the series before working out whether they would proceed to the Breeders Crown races.
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