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By Wandering Eyes · Posted
By Adam Hamilton The first step of Swayzee’s extraordinary IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup title defence went without fuss when he easily won last night’s $60,000 Cherry City Cup (2887m) at Young. The race, which required a seven-hour return road trip from Swayzee’s Menangle barn, was crucial as it kept alive his quest to snare a $1 million bonus for winning all five legs of the NSW Carnival of Cups series. Swayzee won the first leg at Parkes on September 20 and last night’s race at Young was the second leg. The next leg is at Tamworth on January 17. Last night was the romp many expected with Swayzee’s driver Cam Hart looking to give him the easiest possible run ahead of his manic next few days ahead of Tuesday’s NZ Cup. Hart pushed through from the back row and kept charging around the field to find the lead after 400m. He then dictated terms through a steady 61.6sec middle half. Hart barely quickened down the back straight in 29.1sec as Serg Blanco charged quickly at him and Jordy looked from a run on his back. But Swayzee was just cruising and Hart “clicked him up” to pull away and win by three metres over Jordy with Serg Blanco third in a 27.2sec last quarter. They went a 2min0.2sec mile rate for the marathon trip. Trainer Jason Grimson will quickly switch focus to Sunday when Swayzee boards a flight to Auckland and then a connector from Auckland down to Christchurch. With yesterday’s scratching of Leap To Fame, Swayzee is $2.70 favourite to successfully defend his title at Addington on Tuesday. Young Kiwi stars Merlin ($3.20) and Don’t Stop Dreaming ($4.50) are the main dangers. X X X TOP former Kiwi pacer Minstrel snared the biggest win of his career and did it the hard way in last night’s $450,000 Group 1 WA Pacing Cup at Gloucester Park. In a remarkable training performance, Team Bond did it with Minstrel just second-up from a spell and after having a fitness scare a couple of weeks ago. Throw in the fact he sat parked throughout the 2536m feature and it was a WA Cup win to remember. Young gun driver Deni Roberts did her part, “nursing” Minstrel outside leader Pinny Tiger as long as she could, knowing main dangers Mister Smartie (one-one) and Captain Ravishing (one out, two back) were stalking her. Minstrel gave a great kick at the top of the straight and held-off Mister Smartie to win by 1.5m in a 1min55sec mile rate, while Mighty Ronaldo escaped three pegs to charge into third spot. Captain Ravishing came three-wide without cover at the 1000m rather than risk being pocketed, but the effort took its toll and he weakened late to finish a close fourth. Minstrel’s win capped a massive week for Team Bond and Roberts, who won the Group 1 WA Derby the previous Friday night with Christopher Dance. “That almost brought a tear to my eye and I’m not one to cry. That’s insane,” Roberts said. “He’s an absolute machine. I thought they’d get me at the top of the straight, but he finds that extra gear that the others don’t have. He’s been the most amazing horse for us.” Minstrel’s win was his 25th from 64 starts with another 19 placings. He’s now banked $1,298,288. Earlier in the night, star mare Steno made the most of an ideal draw to lead throughout and win the $100,000 Group 2 Norms Daughter Classic. Trained and driven by Jocelyn Young, Steno scorched down the back straight in 27.4sec and just held-off a late challenge from Little Darling to win by a half-head in a 1min54.7sec mile rate for 2130m. Last season’s NZ Oaks winner Aardiebytheseaside did the work outside the leader and tired to finish 10m from the winner in fifth spot. View the full article -
By Murray Fish · Posted
and son Pitman suggest too much water put on track on thurs.... -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
By Michael Guerin Nicky Chilcott had to be kind to be cruel to Village Rebel and it finally paid off at Alexandra Park on Friday night. The five-year-old son of Raging Bull outstayed the more favoured three-year-olds Always B Elite and Hawkeye Pierce to win the TAB Northern Metro Final for the pacers, having to do it the tough way sitting parked. Trainer Chilcott says that is the best way to drive Village Rebel but she hasn’t been letting driver Sailesh Abernethy do that this campaign as she needed to restore the gelding’s confidence. “He has a motor but the problem is he is a big dummy,” says Chilcott. “He learned a bit with travelling around last campaign but because he is a bit that way we have tended to drive him tough. “But as I said to Sailesh, if we keep driving him that way every start we are never going to get the best out of him long term. “So we decided to start this campaign by sitting him in and letting him run home so he felt good and had some good experiences, even though we knew he might not be able to win that way. “Sailesh has done a great job sticking to that plan but tonight I told him he could let him go. “He was ready and he showed that and it was great to get the win as this was the one we wanted.” Chilcott admits she doesn’t know whether Village Rebel will ever show his total worth, with his brain smaller than his heart, and she says he could spend time back on the Country Cups circuit over the summer as it saw him improve last term. A horse with more ambitious immediate plans is Friday night’s Metro Trot Final winner Faith In Manchester. The five-year-old mare blew her rivals away thanks in part to a dominant Todd Mitchell drive but also a sizzling 56.7 second last 800m, which meant those back in the field from big handicaps had no chance. It enabled Faith In Manchester to trot 3:26.5 for the 2700m off her 10m handicap suggesting she won’t be out of place in open class, particularly as the north is well short of open class trotters. She will get her chance in the big time soon enough with the new $100,000 Queen of Diamonds at Alexandra Park on December 13, a Group 1 Trot restricted to fillies and mares and a race she should still get into well. “We think it is a great thing to have a Group 1 fillies and mares trot and the logical aim for her,” says co-trainer Michelle Wallis. “Then she has the Golden Gait Final the week after so she has a big end to the year coming up. “I don’t see why she can’t spend time in open class next year, especially with us lacking many open class numbers up here at the moment.” Other eyecatchers on Friday night were The Jolly Roger making it three wins on end, hard to follow three-year-old trotter Father Barry finally get things right and Franco Santana living up to his breeding winning for the second time on end. The night started on a great note when Voronov extended trainer Luk Chin’s best ever season with the popular horseman’s 21st winner for the year, seven more than his previous best two years ago. View the full article -
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