A star emerged from the relentless drizzle that soaked Melton, where District Attorney displayed top tier talent with a withering sprint to capture victory and affirm there were many more to come.
Blake and Ted Caruana’s brilliantly bred four-year-old, a half-brother to million-dollar horse Cruz Bromac, understandably cost a pretty penny but is rewarding that investment and bringing plenty of delight.
That was certainly the case Saturday night when in Mick Bellman’s hands he ripped home from last to first to capture the Download The TAB App Pace and zero in on triple-figure stakes earnings.
“He really showed his colours tonight,” Bellman told TrotsVision. “He was phenomenal to come that far from behind on a wet track and finish off in 27 and a bit – he’s gone sensational.”
District Attorney was three deep in the three-wide train with 800 metres to go and Bellman showed patience before setting him alight off the home turn, briskly demolishing all in his path to score.
The widest runner on a rain-soaked track, he got home in a 27.2-second final quarter to win by 1.6 metres from La Captain.
“I think if he was on a dry track he would have gotten home in 25 the way he felt,” Bellman said.
“He was jogging around the turn. I thought 'I’ve got to go now, there’s no opportune time, I’m going to be wide and deep'. I just had to use that good 200 that I know he’s got in him. He’s as quick as anything over that distance if you can save him up.
“It’s a good thrill to be able to back him that he’s going to put you into the race when you need to and be able to use his speed.”
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It was also “a good thrill” for connections, with Ted Caruana not only co-trainer with son Blake but also the owner.
And according to Bellman their loving every minute of District Attorney’s emergence, with tonight bringing his ninth win from his 19th outing.
“They love it. Every win’s like their first and they treat it like their last. They don’t leave anything in the locker with their celebrations and they just make it special,” he said.
“(Dstrict Attorney's) starting to round up and look a bit more mature in himself. Great to Blake and Celeste and Ted for giving him that time, you can get fooled into the trap of racing him too much too early, but I think it’s going to pay dividends by not going in everything early days."
Also thriving in the wet on Saturday night were trainer Andy Gath and driver Kate Gath, with the pair producing a treble.
Two recent Kiwi arrivals impressed for their new stable with Sly Terror winning the Country Clubs Championship Final and Winegum the 1200-metre The Big Screen Company Pace.
The latter was having his Australian debut and, like Sly Terror, led all the way to win, but it was perhaps the third leg of their treble that brought the most delight.
Veteran pacer Tango Tara made the most of his perfect draw to sweep off the leader's back and score in the Betavet Tiger Tara Free For All, his first win at Melton since November 2021, with only a Mildura success in June last year in between.
“It’s been a while since he’s won a metro race, he’s run a lot of placings along the way, it’s good to get that one out of the way,” Andy Gath told TrotsVision.
“He had the perfect draw. There was only four or five metres between first and last, they’re pretty even these horses – whoever gets the right run gets the opportunity, but you’ve still got to be good enough to take that opportunity.”
Also impressive was brilliant mare Queen Elida, who overcome a significant deficit to Ultimate Stride to produce a stunning 12-metre win that even surprised her reinsman Chris Alford.
“A little bit unexpected,” he said. “Talking to (trainer Brent Lilley) during the day, he thought she’d need the run tonight but she would’ve run a cracking half then. Just didn’t think she’d get anywhere near the leader actually.”
She was giving Ultimate Stride five lengths after they settled into single file but stormed home in a 27.4-second third quarter and 28.06-second final quarter for a stunning 55.45-second last half, almost two seconds quicker than any of her rivals.
“She was super tonight. At the half I thought we are not going to get anywhere near this leader but I better slide up and have a look, and as soon as she got up there she said I’m not dropping in behind it, I want to keep going.”
Emma Stewart produced a double on the night, with Our Vinnie (Mark Pitt) and Beach Life (Kerryn Manning) both scoring, while Chris Lang kicked off the night with a win with Dontouch The Duco and trainers Joe Pace (Justalittlesip) and Greg Fleming (Letsgobro) had their horses continue their winning runs. The night then closed with Musztang returning to form with a win over the sprint, the second of two 1200-metre wins on the night.