There were loud cheers for Hoorah Philtra, who finally shed the ‘bridesmaid’ tag when he took out the Hygain Edge Free For All at Melton on Saturday night.
The Ashleigh Herbertson-trained five-year-old had finished runner-up at his previous four starts at headquarters when he lined up against the Emma Stewart-trained duo Some American ($2 fav) and Storms Collide ($2.90).
Driven by Herbertson’s son James, Hoorah Philtra was first to find the pegs before handing up the lead to the favourite shortly after the start.
Herbertson had a lapful of horse on the home turn and, when he angled down to the sprint lane, Hoorah Philtra ($8) quickly mustered speed to join Some American halfway down the home straight before surging clear to score by two metres in a mile rate of 1:53.
Herbertson admitted he was chuffed with the win after the race.
“He’s a lovely horse and great to do anything with. It’s very humbling tonight to win a nice race on a Saturday night with a horse that is trained at home,” Herbertson said.
“The middle half was very easy and I was worried that I wasn’t going to pick up the leader, but coming home in 26.7 we’ve put half a length on him and I was very happy with that,” he said.
The Herbertsons provided the bookends to the meeting when Hoorah Philtra’s stablemate The Steel Dragon took out the Benstud Standardbreds Pace.
Herbertson and The Steel Dragon lobbed along at the rear of the field as Perun and Soho Darknstormy vied for the lead in a brutal 42.7 lead time.
Herbertson waited until the final bend before peeling out on The Steel Dragon ($19), and the son of Fear The Dragon swamped his rivals in the home straight to score by two and a half metres from Perun in a mile rate of 1:54.7.
Herbertson said the early frantic race tempo played into his hands.
“I was quite happy with it and didn’t expect it at all. In these small fields it can become quite placid, but it became race on and we were able to take advantage of it in the end,” he said.
Herbertson acknowledged the training prowess of his father.
“Of all the trainers that I drive for, he is one of the best,” he said.
“He’s done a great job with this horse as he’s only had about 30 starts and has already won two in town, so for a big gangly horse he has done a great job with him.”
After several quiet weeks in town by his own lofty standards, Herbertson bounced back by driving half the card at the eight-race meeting.
Herbertson combined with astute trainer Geoff Webster when the well-bred Aldebaran Abel prevailed in the Waste Sense Trot.
Aldebaran Abel enjoyed the run of the race in the one-out, one-back trail before Herbertson pulled out three wide in the back straight and overcame a brief challenge from Ringer Wells, before that horse broke in the home straight.
Herbertson said the winner was a durable commodity.
“It was a two-horse race at the top of the straight and this bloke was put out of his comfort zone over a longer trip and having to come out at the 600 (metres),” he said.
“It was a big effort, I thought. He has raced six weeks in a row, this horse, and he has been very gallant. I set him a task last week and he has backed up again this week.”
The Kelly Stuart-Mitchell-trained Always Be Blakey provided Herbertson with the remaining winner of his quartet when it outstayed the $1.95 favourite Most Exciting in the Australian Pacing Gold Pace.
Always Be Blakey appeared in trouble when headed by Most Exciting around the final bend. However, the son of Always B Miki found plenty in reserve in the home stretch to score running away by six metres in a mile rate of 1:55.9.
Herbertson was mindful of keeping the five-year-old’s mind on the job.
“He’s a pretty lazy horse and always has been from a three-year-old, so you rev him up and he gives you a good bit of speed when you ask for it,” he said.
“He’s been a great little horse all the way through for Kelly.”
Always Be Blakey now boasts a career record of 11 wins and eight placings from his 34 lifetime starts.
