Outstanding racemare Encipher vindicated her selection in the world’s richest harness race the TAB Eureka when she downed a stunning line up in the Westburn Grant Free For All at Melton on Saturday night.
The race boasted no less than eight individual Group 1 winners.
Kate Gath gave Encipher ($16) a perfect drive in the one-out one-back spot, pulling out three wide on the point of the home turn before the daughter of Captaintreacherous got the verdict by a head in a thrilling three-way finish.
A margin of a head separated the winner and the placegetters Rock N Roll Doo and Hurricane Harley, with the field recording a slick 53.8sec last 800 metres.
“I just love this horse and I’m not surprised she’s done that tonight,” Gath said after the race.
“She’s just a quality horse and those horses were coming at her on the line, but she just knows how to win.”
Gath believes Encipher is worthy of a berth in the TAB Eureka.
“I’ve thought that for a few weeks and have been surprised that no slot holder had picked her up for the Eureka… she thoroughly deserves her place in it and I’m rapt for the owners and Emma (Stewart) and Clayton (Tonkin),” she said.
“She may not look as impressive as she can probably go, but she will follow any speed and they can go as quick as they like but she will have no trouble following it and reeling off a quick last quarter.
“I still think that Emma and Clayton will be able to screw her down a little bit more fitness-wise and I think she will definitely be dangerous.”
Gath, who has driven Encipher throughout her career, won’t be holding the reins in the TAB Eureka as she will partner Catch A Wave, who is trained by her husband Andy.
Trainer Michael Stanley would have been delighted with the return of reigning Victoria Cup champion Rock N Roll Doo, who finished powerfully from the rear of the field while breaking the clock for his last 800 metres of the race.
The Jess Tubbs-trained One Over All showed his liking for the standing start when he scored a soft win in the Mimosa Homes Coulter Crown at Melton.
The son of Angus Hall began brilliantly from his 20m backmark and settled midfield in the running line before producing a withering finale to score running away by 10 metres from Aldebaran Keepa and Anywhere Hugo.
Driver Greg Sugars acknowledged One Over All’s penchant for the tapes.
“There’s no doubt he really loves the standing start conditions and when his mind is on the job, he’s pretty good from the mobile too,” Sugars said.
One Over All served notice of a pending win when he finished runner-up behind Ollivici at Melton a week earlier.
“He hadn’t had a run or a trial for quite a while, so last week was a pipe-opener for this race and to see how well he ran last week gave us immense confidence going into tonight,” he said.
“He shows great speed when he is held up for one run and he nearly broke 27 for his last quarter coming wide last week, so we knew he was cherry ripe for tonight.”
Sugars said the five-year-old will continue on the Victorian country cups trail.
“He’s currently the leader in the Maoris Idol Championship and next week is the Shepparton Trotters Cup which is another leg of that series, so he’ll head there and those sort of races for the rest of the season,” he said.
