The pathway to a Vicbred Super Series title in the showcase three-year-old colts and geldings division looks wide open after heats night at Ballarat.
No standout has emerged but there was plenty of talent on display as Scorcha, Honolua Bay, Cant Top This, Imnopumpkin, Soextra and Sahara Sirocco rattled off victories.
Reinsman Chris Alford, who book-ended the division’s heats with victories, said it was an even division that would come down to the luck of the draw and in running.
“It will be a good series, the Aiken’s horse (Honolua Bay) ran good, Scorcha was good early, Chris Lang’s horse (Soextra) just went super in the race before. Once again it’s all going to come down to draws and luck.”
Here’s how it unfolded:
HEAT ONE:
Scorcha was aptly named for the first heat of the night with Peter Romero’s Courage Under Fire gelding leading all the way from the gate one draw and setting a blistering pace.
There was no let up throughout for the race favourite, after a 40.7-second lead time reinsman Chris Alford kept things ticking over in front. A 57.5-second middle half preceded a 29-second final quarter as Scorcha won by 1.8 metres from fast-finishing Major Jodi. Beat City and Jemsoms Pet also advanced to the semi-finals.
“We had to go a little bit harder early than what we would have liked, but he’s been racing really well through the Breeders Crown, just had terrible barriers every week,” Alford said. “It was nice that he could actually get a draw tonight, hold up and use it.”
Scorcha was bred by Paul Blackshaw out of his broodmare Under The Mattress, making him a full-brother to the brilliant Smolda, winner of an Inter Dominion, Hunter Cup and $2.4 million in stakes.
HEAT TWO:
The second heat delivered a similar story to the first with a talented, well-bred favourite leading early in a 40.7-second lead time and then controlling proceedings to score and comfortably advance in the Vicbred Super Series.
Honolua Bay, raced by trainer David Aiken and driven by Josh Aiken, never looked under strain and with a 27-second final quarter locked away a five-metre victory over second-placed Kowalski Analysis, with Forever Yin and Urbadboy filling out the top four to book semi-finals berths.
It was a fifth win from six starts for Honolua Bay, who was bred and is owned by Lauriston Bloodstock’s Bill and Anne Anderson, with the lightly-raced Somebeachsomewhere gelding being out of National Gallery, making him a half-brother to the likes of Rocknroll Icon ($136,883).
The latter finished fourth in his three-year-old Vicbred final and third as a four-year-old, and Josh Aiken believes little brother has similar potential.
“Going forward, if he can really be competitive through this Vicbred series and then eye off some the four-year-old races next year – I don’t think that’s out of reach,” Josh told Trots Vision.
HEAT THREE:
It all went a little haywire at the top of the straight when leader Rocco Americano galloped, but Cant Top This took it in his stride, regrouped and held off Jilliby Sylvester to win for reinswoman Jodi Quinlan and trainer Emma Stewart.
It was a bold performance by the eventual winner, with Cant Top This sitting in the breeze throughout and having to shift out when the leader galloped, but he still managed to score by 1.2 metres for owner-breeders Bruce and Vicki Edward.
“My bloke was travelling very well at the time, the leader galloped and shifted up the track and I was trying to coax mine to go past but he thought he’d ease up with him and have a little look at what was going on,” Quinlan told Trots Vision. “He’s very raw this horse, he’s very green, but he’s an exciting horse going forward.”
The winner is a Rock N Roll Heaven gelding out of Tamara Hall, making him a half-brother to Vicbred Super Series champion Ideal For Real ($324,600)
Jilliby Sylvester finished just 1.2 metres behind in second while Morrisons Dream and Rocco Americano, who quickly recovered after breaking gate, filled out the first four to also advance to the semi-finals.
HEAT FOUR:
The sequence of favourites winning was broken in dashing style when Imnopumpkin emerged from the pack and rattled home to win for trainer Mary-Jane Mifsud and reinsman Daniel Jack.
The latter pushed early to keep the back of initial leader Gotta Smudge, only to be shuffled back as favourite Send It, who initially galloped at the start before recovering, advanced to the front.
Send It was put under pressure by Sanday in the last lap, which opened a gap in the field and it enabled Jack to move Imnopumpkin off the peg line at the turn and he flashed home in the final 100 metres to win.
“He’s a nice horse, he’s done a good job,” Jack said of the victor, who recorded a fifth win from just his 13th start.
“He was getting a good run. Send It had done a little bit to get to the front. On paper, if you excluded his (Breeders Crown) semi run he was the equal of any of those, he was always going to be thereabouts.”
The winner paid $26 and would have pleased breeders KTC Bloodstock and Kevin and Annette Charles, who pared their dam Miss Madoff, a winner of $118,308, with Art Major. Imnopumpkin was then on sold to the Van Gemeren family, who share ownership with the trainer.
Their gelding will now advance to the December 22 semi-final along with Sanday, Sent It and Gotta Smudge, who filled out the first four placings.
HEAT FIVE:
Soextra added to his reputation with a commanding win against quality in the night’s fifth heat, holding off challenges from a well-rated pair to notch a fourth win in five starts.
Trained by Chris Lang and bred and owned by Richard Matthews, the Bettors Delight gelding is out of Lagoon Lady, a winner of $203,183.
His reinsman Michael Bellman held the lead from gate two, with Tinder Surprise dropping on to his back and Pacifico Dream advancing to the breeze with a lap to go. They got home in 56 seconds for the last half, with Soextra meeting every challenge to salute by four metres from Tinder Surprise, while Pacifico Dream was a further length behind.
Highclere was gapped but the best of the chasing brigade to also advance to the semi-finals.
“(Soextra’s) a lovely horse,” Bellman told Trots Vision. “Every time I’ve driven him he’s gone to the next level, he just gives you a good vibe through and through.”
HEAT SIX:
Sahara Sirocco sat coiled up for 2100 metres of the middle-distance race and when the gap opened in the final 100 metres reinsman Chris Alford shot through to salute for trainers Gary and Deb Quinlan.
Jawbreaker looked to have the race largely in hand for reinsman Greg Sugars, who held the lead from the gate one draw, but he would have been well aware of the threat that tailed him throughout and it came to pass as Sahara Sirocco pinched the sixth heat by a head.
A winner of seven of his 20 starts, breeders Peter Watkinson and Bruce Paul share ownership with Deb Quinlan, Peter Hornby and Craig Jensz, and Alford is optimistic they have a title contender in their keeping.
“He’s always been a nice little horse,” he said. “Tonight he had the good trailing draw and nice trip, and once the gap opened he sprinted real quick. To finish off in 26.7 and take a length off the leader was a good effort.”
By Courage Under Fire out of Sahara Miss, the winner advances to the semi-finals along with Jawbreaker, The Mustang, Mirragon and Mea Culpa.
RELIVE THE WINNING MOMENTS AND HEAR FROM THE WINNING DRIVERS:
READ MORE FROM THE VICBRED SUPER SERIES:
>> Reigning champ shines as fillies take flight
>> Leading mares take night one in Stride
>> Winning an artform as series favourites impress
