Andy and Kate Gath combined for a stunning fourth What The Hill Great Southern Star triumph, with Majestuoso leading all-the-way in the final to cap a drama-filled night at Tabcorp Park Melton.
The Gaths' hold on the richest Australian trotting trophy tightened with Majestuoso adding to Tornado Valley’s two back-to-back wins, making it three in succession for owner Norm Jenkin, while the trainer-driver combo also scored in 2017 with Glenferrie Typhoon.
“It’s such a great race and to be able to win it four times is such a great thrill," Andy Gath said. "To be able to win it for Norm, too, he’s been such a great supporter of mine for such a long time. It’s a great feeling.”
And it was hard earned, with the Great Southern Star’s one-night heats-into-final format creating plenty of drama along the way.
Kate Gath had some nervous moments when Majestuoso was buried three back on the pegs in her heat, but she was able to find enough clear air late to run into fourth.
While only the first three home were guarateed to advance, fortunately for Gath the second heat was by far the quickest. Seven of the 10 qualifiers advanced from it into the final, with only Rules Dont Apply, Tornado Valley and Wobelee emerging from the first heat.
The next hurdle was the live barrier draw, where horses were randomly plucked before their connections chose the best gate.
Wobelee’s owner Colin Murphy was fortunate to draw first and happily claimed gate one, with Majestuoso claiming four while his major rival, Im Ready Jet, was stranded in gate 10 after being out of the draw due to galloping in her heat.
It would prove decisive in the final, with Majestuoso crossing quickly to the lead and Wobelee taking his back, and they would prove the dominant runners with Temporale (breeze) and Tornado Valley (one-one) unable to threaten in the running line.
Come the final 200 metres, Majestuoso and Wobelee cleared out, with the former holding on to win by a head.
Im Ready Jet was stunning in running into third from four back in the running line to pip Powderkeg for the placing. Anton Golino’s mare got home in a 55.98-second last half, almost a second quicker than the winner despite covering an extra 13 metres.
However, the biggest smiles were, of course, reserved for the winner.
“You always need a bit of luck somewhere and finding the front after drawing four made all the difference,” Kate Gath told TrotsVision. “It was a thrill to get another one.
“He’s definitely (a horse) who has taken a little while. Patience and persistence, it can pay off and it’s turned him into the horse that he is. All credit to the team at home.”
GREAT SOUTHERN STAR HEAT ONE:
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With a little good fortune Rules Dont Apply was able to hold on early and then show his serious dash last to kick off the Great Southern Star heats with a thrilling win over two-time reigning champion Tornado Valley.
The latter, as is his way, flew the gates to hold Wobelee and Aldebaran Crescent on his outside, while Anthony Crossland and Rules Dont Apply did all they could from gate eight to try and find the leader’s back.
A gap emerged, but closed when Wobelee and Sundons Courage both tried to squeeze in behind Tornado Valley, enabling Rules Dont Apply to kick up and hold leader’s back.
It would prove critical, with Tornado Valley leading all the way to the line until Crossland was able to claw past late, with Wobelee nabbing Always Ready for third. The latter would prove crucial, with the second heat much quicker and only the first three – Rules Dont Apply, Tornado Valley and Wobelee – advancing to the final.
GREAT SOUTHERN STAR HEAT TWO:
It all seemed so simple on paper the second of the Great Southern Star heats but that was blown open from the outset.
What presented as a battle between Majestuoso and Im Ready Jet soon crumbled with the latter galloping at the start while the series favourite, Majestuoso, was crossed by lighting Aldebaran Revani out of the gate.
Aldebaran Crescent dropped on to Aldebaran Revani’s back leaving Majestuoso three back on the fence and he was shuffled back further when the leader tired while Temporale and a recovered Im Ready Jet got the jump.
The Kiwi would hold on to the line with Im Ready Jet completing a super recovery to claim second, while Aldebaran Crescent pipped Majestuoso for third.
However, there was never a doubt the series favourite would qualify for the big dance, with the second heat almost three seconds quicker than the first, which also booked Powderkeg (fifth), The Penny Drops (sixth) and Queen Of Crime (seventh) places in the final.
While the all-trotting card was dominated by the Great Southern Star it produced some additional eye-catching moments.
La Serena was an impressive winner for Alex Ashwood and Tayla French, capturing the Group 2 by clearing out on her rivals in the Aldebaran Park Vicbred Platinum Trotting Mares Sprint Championship.
The third straight win was capped with a 28-second last quarter that saw her finish more than 10 metres clear of second-placed Lucinda Mac.
Baltica (Emmett and Richard Brosnan), Naked Ambition (Dylan Stratford) and Havehorsewilltravel (Andy Gath) were also among the night's impressive winners, while Margaret Ruth produced a popular win.
The eight-year-old mare scored her first victory since January 12, 2020, a 22-start streak that has produced only two placings. That was emphatically broken tonight when her trainer-driver Anne-Maree Conroy emerged from the running line to run past the leaders and claim the All In One Property Trot.
The night started in exciting circumstances, with Barry and Ashley Ainsworth's Night Whisperer getting home by a half-head in a blanket finish, with barely a metre separating the first five home.
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