There was a big dollop of joy for Charlie Mizzi at Tabcorp Park Melton on Saturday night when his promising three-year-old kept a cool head and claimed a big scalp.
Wotdidusaaay, now a winner of six of his 18 starts, capped Saturday night’s racing with victory in the Allied Express Pace, bringing great delight to his Sunshine-based trainer-breeder, who also co-owns the gelding with Kurunjung’s Charmaine, Jay and five-year-old Addyson Briggs.
“He’s getting better all the time,” Mizzi said. “Getting stronger, bit of a smart arse, he tries you out. Lance (Justice) has done a nice job with him.”
Mizzi trains a team of five from Justice’s Melton property, with Justice not only his race-night reinsman but helpful in the day-to-day training.
Saturday’s night’s $8000 showdown pitted Wotdidusaaay against last start winner Error, for Bacchus Marsh’s Jodi Quinlan, and short-priced favourite Abouttime for the all-powerful Emma Stewart stable.
The latter had received plenty of support in the lead up, with the lightly-raced Art Major gelding having won both his previous starts this campaign, including a romping 75-metre victory at Shepparton.
And all initially looked to go to plan for Abouttime, with reinsman Greg Sugars easily sliding to the front of affairs in a moderate 47.3-second lead time, but things were also going to script for the trailing Wotdidusaaay and Justice.
“The reason I didn’t come out of the gate was because it was a bit of a game plan, I thought if I don’t bustle him early, I’ve got barrier one, I am going to be behind the leader,” Justice said. “Worst case scenario I run second, but with a good trip I was confident he could win.”
Crucially, the leader continued to pull in the run, getting little respite as his 29.5-second first quarter would see him pulse at the front of affairs. Conversely Wotdidusaaay, who had raced keenly at a recent start, was in cruise control on Saturday night.
“That was why he went so much better,” Justice said. “He raced here a couple of weeks back in a really good three-year-old race, he run fourth in the race but he pulled really hard all the way behind them.
“Tonight as soon as the first quarter came up in under 30, Greg kept slipping away from the field all the time and I kept thinking it won’t run up the straight.”
As they approached the final turn, Wotdidusaaay advanced around Abouttime, making short work of the leader, with Error running into second. It was great reward for Mizzi and Justice was only too happy to deliver it
“(Charlie’s) a really good guy,” Justice said. “One thing about him, he’s really loyal. He tries really hard. I can’t say enough about the guy – he’s just a really kind-hearted person.”
The Stewart camp wasn’t without joy, with new addition Egodan winning the TAB Multiplier Pace ahead of stablemate Major Times. Having been first up in three months, Saturday was the much-travelled Egodan’s 100th start and he made it count, hitting the line strongly for reinsman Greg Sugars in the night’s $12,000 open class feature.
The victory was one of the two for the night for Sugars, who also saluted on Little Peanut in the Garrards Pace, when Myrniong’s Larajay Farm stable, owned by Sugars and his wife trainer Jess Tubbs, filled the first three placings. Little Peanut won from Cocosfella and Huli Nien and Sugars said post-race the five-year-old winner should only get better for the run.
Matching Sugars’ driving double was Ryan Duffy, whose magic Melton form continued when he steered trotters Scruffy Doolan (trained by Geoff Webster) and prodigiously talented Always Ready (trained by Anton Golino) to victories.
And Quinlan also picked up a pair, saluting with Tina Calls and Arden Voyager.
