Outstanding three-year-old The Lost Storm returned to the track with an effortless tune-up for the upcoming Group 1 $150,000 Queensland Derby at Bendigo on Saturday night.
Having his first start since winning the Vicbred Super Series (2YO Colts and Geldings) Final in December last year, The Lost Storm ($1.04 fav) stifled betting against his four rivals who all vied for the slot on the favorite’s back.
The Lost Storm leisurely worked his way to the front inside the first 400 metres and driver Mark Pitt was allowed to dictate the terms of the race to suit himself before allowing his horse to lengthen stride approaching the home turn.
Reeling off a 27.5sec last 400 metres, The Lost Storm cruised to the line holding an eight metre margin over a gallant Blake Bolac, who made a sustained run from the rear of the field.
Pitt said the race panned out perfectly for the son of Captaintreacherous.
“It was just a perfect hit-out to lead into the Derby,” Pitt said.
Pitt confirmed The Lost Storm will board a flight to Brisbane on Tuesday for a hit-and-run Queensland Derby mission in a fortnight’s time.
Pitt conceded he only asked The Lost Storm to extend for the last 400 metres of the race.
“We want the horse peaking at the right time, we don’t want him peaking too early,” he said.
“He will benefit from tonight’s run big time and will be pretty well at his peak for the Derby.”
The Lost Storm will return to Emma Stewart’s Ballarat stables following the Queensland Derby and prepare for a tilt at the world’s richest harness race, The $2.1m TAB Eureka at Menangle in early September.
The Lost Storm is currently on the fourth line of betting at $8 behind the $3.20 favorite Leap To Fame.
Kate Gath, fresh from a personal best time in the Gold Coast Marathon, extended her lead in the Metropolitan Drivers’ Premiership after steering home a quartet of winners at the Bendigo meeting.
The Team Gath-trained rising eight-year-old Tango Tara topped $300,000 in prizemoney after leading all the way in the J and A Mazzetti Painting Koala King Free For All.
Tango Tara was joined and headed by the $2.10 favorite Bettor Isolate around the home turn, however the son of A Rocknroll Dance refused to yield and fought back to score by a head from the fast-finishing Max Delight.
Gath admitted she held the lead against her better judgement on Tango Tara.
“There has been a couple of times when he has led and should have won, he’s just been a touch disappointing,” Gath said.
“And then there are times when he’s sat parked and been beaten four metres and run home really well in quick sectionals. Yet when he’s led, he has just got run down late and half-way down the straight tonight I thought not again.”
Gath said Tango Tara was a stable favourite.
“He is so consistent and never far away, I’d love to find another one like him and go through the grades with him. And he’s just a beautiful horse to do anything with and lovely to have around,” she said.
Earlier in the night, Gath partnered the Emma Stewart-trained mare Dannemora to take out the Prydes Easifeed Pace after sitting parked for the last 1600 metres of the race.
Dannemora is now unbeaten in seven starts since arriving at Stewart’s stable from New Zealand earlier this year.
Gath said the four-year-old passed her toughest test to date with flying colors.
“She did it really easily, she picked up the leader really quickly in a couple of strides,” she said.
Gath opted to surrender the lead on former New Zealander Terry before that pacer outsprinted his rivals in the Vale Noel Ridge Pace.
“It was a pretty solid effort, especially the lead time and he copped it left right and centre,” she said.
“He had never been used out of the gate in New Zealand so I just decided to use him, but when we copped that second burn from Major Manbar I thought we’d better hand up.”
Gath rounded out the night with a victory aboard Chinese Whisper in the Aldebaran Park Trot, providing Team Gath and owner Norm Jenkin with a winning treble.
“He’s pretty seasoned and he raced during the Inter Dominion series against the best trotters we have here in Victoria, he’s a pretty quality horse and hopefully we can see the best of him this season,” she said.
Gath heads the table on 28 metropolitan successes, an 11-win lead over Mark Pitt on 17.
