Proven big race performer Fox Dan is on track to gain a berth in the world’s richest pacing event after his win in the Group 2 APG Vicbred Super Series (4YO Entires & Geldings) at Melton on Saturday night.
One of five Emma Stewart runners in the race, Fox Dan enjoyed a cosy sit behind the leader and stablemate Storms Collide before Ryan Sanderson eased the son of Art Major into the sprint lane on straightening.
Fox Dan ($9.50) charged through along the inside to score running away by four metres from stablemates Last Trip and I Am The Storm in a mile rate of 1:52.3.
Already a multiple Group 1 winner, Fox Dan is raced by Team Zav whose principal Danny Zavitsanos announced after the race the winner is likely to take up Team Zav’s slot in the $1.5m TAB Eureka in November.
“He is a home bred horse who knows how to win big races and if he keeps ticking all the boxes, he’ll be there (in Sydney) come November,” Zavitsanos said.
Earlier in the night emerging mare The Art Of Success continued to build on her extraordinary winning streak when she chalked up her 10th successive win in the (4YO Mares) Final.
Driver Mark Pitt asked the daughter of Art Major to dig deep into her considerable reserves after she was forced to sit parked outside the leader Wicked Confession for the final 1600 metres of the race.
The Art Of Success was left a sitting shot for the talented mare Miss Ari who had the drop on the leaders however the winner refused to yield and held on to score by a head in a mile rate of 1:53.9.
Pitt believes The Art Of Success has the talent to become one of the country’s premier mares.
“I have no doubt she can go on and be one of our best mares as long as everything stays well with her, I’m sure we are going to see her is some great races,” Pitt said.
The father and son team of Darren and Blake Pace capped off a memorable night when Sam Nien provided a boilover in taking out the Group 1 APG Vicbred Super Series (4YO Trotting Entires & Geldings) Final.
Sent out a $101 chance, Sam Nien too enjoyed the run of the race behind the leader before making full use of the sprint lane to grab the leader I Am Spellbound in the shadows of the post.
Much to chagrin of punters, it was a case of dejavu for the Pace family and Sam Nien.
It was almost 12 months to the day since the son of Volstead last visited the winner’s stall in the Nutrien Equine Classic (3YO Trotting Colts & Geldings) Final at Melton.
The win gave both 50-year-old Darren and 22-year-old junior driver Blake their first Group 1 success in the sport.
“It’s unbelievable, I can’t believe it and I’m lost for words,” Blake said on returning to scale.
“You go into these races and see what Alrighty and I Am Hellbound have been doing over the last few months and you dream a little bit and you always believe it’s going to be a dream,” he said.
“But off the back behind the two big guns he was travelling too good not to run on.”
It was a chuffed and proud Darren Pace who embraced his son after the race.
“We do it as a family working full time and doing the horses after the work,” he said.
“We put Blake on him a couple of times as a junior and he handled him well so I said that he may as well drive him in the Vicbred and give him a chance in a Group 1 because if I don’t no one else will.”
The Glenn Hunter trained mare Gatesys Gem completed a hat trick of Group 1 wins and provided Nathan Jack with his 39th Group 1 success after she prevailed in the (4YO Trotting Mares) Final.
Working to the front with 1600 metres to travel, Gatesys Gem ($1.65 fav) held off her main danger I Am Wilma in the run to line scoring by two and a half metres in a mile rate of 1:57.1.
Jack said he was conscious of not releasing the reins down the back straight.
“I had to be careful because I didn’t want to let I Am Wilma in on my back so it was a fine line of overdoing it and underdoing it,” he said.
