Strathalbyn Cup Report
There was an air of expectation about the place at this meeting, as it is for all feature race meetings. On this occasion it was Strathalbyn Cup night. The Strathalbyn club has been extremely proactive in their efforts to put on a terrific night’s racing, with the feature being the 2016 Strathalbyn Cup, worth $10 000. Congrats. It was a terrific event. The line up for the cup was exceptional. The crowd favourite was What’s Emma Got.
Champion mare, What’s Emma Got, fresh from beating up on the Vics. on their home patch (at Melton), lined up in the cup. She’s a drawcard. She’s a champ. She is in career best form. She was so up for this race. Could she get the job done against the “big boys?”
Of course she could!!
What’s Emma Got’s win in the 2016 Strathalbyn Cup was the highlight of the night for me.
She handed out a good old fashioned thrashing to the best pacers we have here in SA.
I will probably make mention of the “extra” attractions that made this night stand out from the regular run of the mill race-meetings. I will probably make some mention of the characters, the sponsors, brilliant drives, some of the great runs and other stuff that happened on the night, like the incredible efforts of the organizing committee and on course staff, the fluency of the meeting, the on-course entertainment, announcing and race-calling etc., etc.
However, the night belonged to the darling of SA racing, What’s Emma Got.
She shone brighter than the first star at night. Dani Hill was not far behind her. She was at her brilliant best too.
“Emma “ found the early lead and was left to do her own thing out in front. None of her rivals wanted to sacrifice their chances by burning Emma for the lead. Some have tried this tactic in seasons gone by……………………………………… and failed.
It’s Me Telowie (gate 1) and Classic Chaos (gate 2) could not match What’s Emma Got or Our Mischievious Miss for speed off the arm. They were both crossed and as a result they both settled on the markers, well back in the field.
From the get go “Emma” was on song. She strode to the early lead from gate four without any trouble at all. Our Mischievious Miss (gate three) is a slick beginner and could have given What’s Emma Got a hard time getting the lead but the Heather Stevens trained mare, driven by Wayne Hill, was more than happy to save her petrol tickets and take the trail behind What’s Emma Got.
Weallwantano (driven by Michael Bellman) came across the field from a wide gate to settle in the death seat. Mark Dennis (from the Lance Holberton yard) grabbed the one out one back spot. Global View (Michael Norman) settled three back on the outside, The Smiler (Scott Ewen) was four back on the pegs and the cab-catchers were My Elusive Dream (who had charged forward early doors but wasn’t able to get in), Some Kinda Tactics, from the Jonathon Kingston Mayne stable and Machtavish (driven by Ryan Hryhorec).
The race began to take on urgency when Global View started to push forward three wide with a lap top go.
Some Kinda Tactics (driven by Ken Rogers) immediately grabbed onto his coat-tails and formed a three wide train.
Dani Hill upped the ante in the back straight. Dani Hill knew the runs were coming. She knew her main dangers were out wide, trying to make ground. She gave What’s Emma Got more rein. The speed of the race went through the roof. The back stretch was covered in 28.5.
The final section was run in 28.7.
Coming to the turn What’s Emma Got was in clean air. She had shaken off her rivals. The race was done and dusted at that point. In fact, What’s Emma Got never really looked like being beaten.
Late in the race Some Kinda Tactics stormed home out wide, to finish second, a nostril in front of Machtavish, who scorched along the markers in the dying stages of the race.
Some Kinda Tactics, Machtavish and Global View all ran terrific races.
However, “Emma” was “Just Too Good” (wasn’t he a classy pacer).
What’s Emma Got is a 4YO mare by Grinfromeartoear. She is trained by Sharon Newman and Glenda Fuller. “Emma” has won 30 races and well over $170 000 in stakes.
What’s Emma Got and Dani Hill came back to scale amidst generous applause from the appreciative on-course patrons. Congrats!
There were six other races on the program. There were some expected results and some unexpected performances that kept punters guessing.
The first race was won by the raging favourite Presidentmach (owned by Rosemary Cormack). Presidentmach led from gate three and never gave his supporters reason for concern. Dani Hill gave Presidentmach a sweet run in front and he scored an easy win. Joshua Holberton followed Presidentmach every step of the way with Regal Lager. He came in second, ahead of Aveross Mac (driven by Brett Lowe) and Justa Working Guy (driven by Shane Turner).
SA’s premier trotter, Pocketfullofcash ran in this race. He finished 4th. His run was very good.
The second race was a 2230m affair. It was won by the Chris Neilson trained Machtwister (driven by Wayne Hill). Machtwister showed a scintillating turn of foot when the arms folded back. He flew out from gate seven and found the early lead.
Chris Neilson had advised stewards that he was going forward at the start. Boy oh boy, he wasn’t joking!
Machtwister was able to set his own pace (quick to fast). He is a high speed, freewheeling type of pacer. He enjoyed being able to run his own race out in front. Flying the gates was a master-stroke. In the end he posted a 5m victory over Teramby Star and Modern Chic. Teramby Star and Modern Chic went into the race as equal favourites. They both ran super.
I wonder if any of the other drivers in the race had an inkling that Wayne Hill was going to ambush them with Machtwister at the start?
Interestingly, Machtwister broke 30 seconds for each of the final quarters.
The first two races were won by horses sired by champion sire, Mach Three.
The third race was the Kookaburra Homes Trot. The field was comprised of some classy conveyances. The backmarker was Rejuvenation (driven by Ryan Hryhorec). He had to overcome a 40m handicap.
He made it look like a walk in the park. Ryan Hryhorec dashed around the field and took up the running before the race was half over. Rejuvenation (trained by Ray Goble) made a one act affair out of a race that looked to have a lot of depth.
Nico Serano and Tendaho trotted genuinely. They rounded out the placings but – all honours were with the winner. Rejuvenation has been a mighty fine trotter for a number of years here in SA. He has won just about every race worth winning in this state. His record stands at 27 wins, 21 seconds and 7 thirds. Twenty six of those wins have been here in SA. Rejuvenation’s only win interstate was at Charlton on Jan. 9th 2012. He led all the way in that race.
In hindsight it sounds silly to say that the win of Lost In Bangkok was a turn up. Especially when you consider that Lost In Bangkok is trained by the all-conquering Les Harding team, he was driven by the all-conquering Dani Hill and he had won his last two starts very impressively.
I guess punters took a set against him because he drew the back of the field in a classy line up.
Anyway, Dani Hill rushed around the field and grabbed the death seat with Lost In Bangkok. Game over!!
As usual I had my couple of bucks on the Heather Stevens trained Cyclone Mach each way and as usual, I collected. I also got the quinella a couple of times. You beauty! Team Harding and a Heather Stevens trained horse – you can’t go wrong.
After five races Dani Hill had chalked up three winners. Wayne Hill had one winner on the board and Ryan Hryhorec had a win too.
The sixth race was a Claiming race. Rob Caruso (leading trainer of Claimers) had two live chances. They were Cromac Jamie and Paleface Jasper. The race was a rib tickler. In the end there was barely 5m between the first seven horses across the line.
Paleface Jasper was given a gun run by Ryan Hryhorec in the one out one back position. Paleface Jasper had worked up a full head of steam coming to the corner. His momentum carried him to victory albeit narrowly, over the plucky Arnoux and Callaway Bromac, who came from the tail of the field. Ryan Hryhorec had his second winner for the night.
Paleface Jasper is in unbelievable form as we speak. In his last seven starts he has recorded five wins and two thirds. Overall he is sitting on 45 wins. Paleface Jasper has finished in the top four placings 109 times in 177 starts. Gee whizz, it doesn’t get much better than that – does it. Sensational!!
The last race went to the Gary Hill trained and Dani Hill driven Bianca Tang. When this mare is on her game she is fantastic. Dani Hill worked forward with Bianca Tang and found the lead. She smashed down the back straight in 28.5. Her rivals were gasping for air coming to the turn. Bianca Tang had enough petrol left in the tank to hold off Reil Quick (driven by Wayne Hill) in the run to the line. Lisa Ryan finished third on Our Cavort. Tyson Linke trains Our Cavort and Reil Quick.
When the curtain came down What’s Emma Got and Dani Hill stood head and shoulders above the rest. It was a night to remember for all the right reasons.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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