“Awesome” and “special” were but a few of the superlatives that spilled forward after Sahara Tiger stunned in the Tasco Petroleum Mildura Pacing Cup.
A track specialist, the seven-year-old delivered the biggest win of reinsman Ryan Sanderson’s promising career, and deservedly so after an outstanding drive when he turned a tricky back row draw into the best seat in the house.
When favourite Cant Top This failed to handle the final bend, opportunity knocked and Sahara Tiger responded, overrunning leader Serg Blanco to score in the $60,000 classic.
For proud dad and trainer Shane Sanderson, the win at $126 was “a special victory”.
“Mildura’s been good to us since we’ve been here, and with Ryan driving and a great bunch of owners, it’s a special night,” Shane said.
“(Sahara Tiger’s) a track specialist and we thought he’d be a bit outclassed but he just got a good run.”
That good run came when favourite Cant Top This, starting inside the back row, eased off the gates to quickly get into the running line and avoid being boxed in. That enabled Ryan Sanderson, drawn next to him in gate eight, to slide straight to the pegs and on the back of Serg Blanco, who held the lead from inside the front row.
“We thought we’d be a slim chance of being behind the leader,” Shane Sanderson said. “I thought top five if we were behind the leader, and he was just in the right spot and put his best foot forward and was Johnny on the spot.”
Serg Blanco carried Sahara Tiger all the way to the home turn, with only modest pressure in the race despite Cant Top This sitting in the breeze for much of the running.
Ryan Duffy released Serg Blanco in a 28.2-second third quarter to gain separation from Cant Top This, who further struggled at the final turn.
The leader was then swamped late, with Sahara Tiger and fellow roughie Western Sonador finishing the strongest and Cant Top This recovering for third.
“That was awesome,” Ryan Sanderson said. “We were always pretty happy with him, he’s a very honest horse, but just in recent times he hasn’t been proven over this distance and in a quality field like this it was a bit of the unknown, but credit to dad and the horse, and me and Abby qualified him and it’s a great win.”
It was also a special moment for a big group of owners who gladly accepted the prized cup.
The third placing enabled Cant Top This to strengthen his lead at the top of the Trots Country Cups Championship. He has 17 points, six clear of Pas Guarantee.
The Aaron Bain Racing Mildura Trotters Cup may have been somewhat uneventful across its 2600 metres but it was certainly plenty meaningful for the connections of the horse who scored.
Having broken at the start when a $3.10 favourite for Kate Hargeaves in the 2021 edition of the Cup, Downunder Barkers was flawless tonight, which enabled Ellen Tormey to steer the nine-year-old to the front and set up a career best win for Brad Cross.
The Campbells Creek trainer had his first career win in December 1981, but has only trained intermittently since, adding nine more wins until Downunder Barkers came into his possession on August last year.
Since then the pair have added five more successes to his tally from 28 starts, the greatest of which came in tonight’s $20,000 trotters cup.
“Brad’s done a super job with this horse,” Tormey said. “He was all but retired and he and the owner have done a fair bit of work keeping him sound.
“He has got his issues, but he’s racing super and he can go for a couple of years yet if he stays sound.
“It’s great to see other people win these sorts of races and Brad’s been a passionate person throughout his career and to get a win like this I’m sure it will mean a lot. They’re great people and great supporters, I’m rapt to get a win for them.”
A $17 shot heading in, Downunder Barkers looked anything but in the run, stepping away well to find the front and from there Tormey was able to control the tempo.
A gentle lead time (1 min 23 sec) preceded little pressure until John Justice (Hatchback) flushed out Victree Hill at the bell.
The latter – race favourite – failed to make ground in the three-wide train and then broke in the back straight, while Downunder Barkers careered away to score by seven metres from South Australian entrant Bahroon.
“That was half the challenge, getting to the front and once I was there I was slightly confident and in the last lap, when I could finally put the foot down and I saw the others were struggling, I was even more confident,” Tormey said.
The win improves Downunder Barkers to equal fifth in the Maori’s Idol Trotting Championship on eight points, with Once Over All (15 points) and Victree Hill (14 points) on top.