Tornado Valley crashed through the million-dollar mark tonight and did so in the brilliant style that has become the trotter’s trademark, with a flawless all-the-way performance.

The crushing win in the Aldebaran Park R C Freestone Trotters Free For All, the 39th of his 108-start career, saw the nine-year-old become the ninth Australasian trotter to amass seven figures in stake winnings, a relief and a thrill for trainer Andy Gath and driver Kate Gath.

It was also the headliner on a terrific night’s racing at Tabcorp Park, in which two late dashes claimed the Youthful Stakes and bold performances won heats of the Gordon Rothacker Memorial Championship.

The night belonged to Tornado Valley and connections shared a mix of relief with the result and optimism for what might still be to come.

“It was super special,” Kate Gath told TrotsVision. “To get it done was everything, really over the moon.”

While Andy Gath said the thrill wasn’t so much about passing the million-dollar mark as “bringing him back and showing that he’s still got plenty to offer”.

“It was a dominant performance tonight, it wasn’t unexpected, but you still have to come and do it,” he said. “It’s a bit of a relief, but it’s great that he’s still got life in his legs.”

Tornado Valley was in a class of his own in the Group 3 over the middle distance, tearing from the gate in the style that has helped him build his stunning record.

There was little pressure throughout and Kate Gath stretched the field with a 28.8-second third quarter before coming home in 28.3 to win by 5.6 metres from Aldebaran Tess, with Sundons Courage and Powderkeg completing the first four.

“Once I asked him he was just off and gone and he got to the line really well,” Kate Gath said.

And the dominance assures there will be more to come, with the camp hopeful he’ll be able to defend his Great Southern Star crown on February 4.

“He loves being in work, he loves racing and he loves stable life,” Andy Gath said. “We’ll keep going until we think he’s not going to be at his best. Tonight he proved he’s still got plenty left.”

 

STU WINS ONE FOR PERCY

A heavy heart didn’t shake Stuart McDonald’s focus as he chose the perfect moment to pounce and guide Spellbound to a late dashing victory in the Alabar Silver Chalice.

In scenes similar to her bout with Maajida in the TAB Make Mine Cullen, a coiled up Spellbound foiled Emma Stewart’s mare with a blazing final dash that would secure the Alabar Silver Chalice and give the reinsman a chance to salute the sky in honour of friend Percy Johnson.

“Unfortunately a friend of mine just passed away over in WA and I was informed right before the race,” McDonald told TrotsVision. “He was a really good guy and he was really close with me in the three years I spent at Ross Olivieri’s.

“He was a legend in the WAFL and a really good fella and I was very sad to hear he had passed right before I was about to go out to race.”

It was fitting McDonald got to honour Johnson on a horse who’d meant plenty to him this year, having steered Nathan Purdon’s mare to six victories this season, with tonight’s win the third of those at Group 3 level.

He did so by waiting until the final turn to make his attack, running past second-placed Maajida, who sat tough in the breeze, amid a 28-second last quarter.

“We thought the race would work out the way it did,” McDonald said. “(Spellbound) probably wasn’t that great tonight, she didn’t leave the helmet with the usual speed that she can, she’s not at 100 per cent racing, but she was still good enough to take advantage of the run she got and the way the race was run.”

 

SWOOPERS SHOW THE AUDACITY OF YOUTH

Those who pounced last laughed loudest in the night’s Benstud Standardbred Youthful Stakes, with David Aiken’s Patsy Valentine and Julie Douglas’s Interest Free both coming from deep in the running line to score.

Racing for owner/breeder Kenneth Beck, who pared his dam Brighty Valentine with American Ideal to produce the two-year-old filly, Patsy Valentine kicked off the two-year-old features with the biggest win of her young career.

Chris Alford flirted with a pegs run out of the gates but the gap wasn’t there and so he settled three back in the running line, with Interject leading after holding out Relentless Me amid a brisk 27.4-second first quarter.

It would make the leaders vulnerable in the dying stages and Patsy Valentine took advantage, winning by 1.5 metres from sprint lane hopeful Come Say Hi.

“She was really good tonight,” Alford said. “They thought she’d need the run because she missed out last week, but things worked out well and she finished off.

“We tried to get on the fence and couldn’t quite there, then after that she relaxed really well. Had to come out a little bit early because the horse in the one-one (Mykorona) couldn’t keep up, just slotted in a stride or two around the bend and once she peeled out she didn’t dash but she really kept going.”

It was all about dash in the colts and geldings leg of the Youthful Stakes, with Interest Free again exhibiting his blistering speed to score for Douglas and reinsman Jack Laugher.

The latter showed supreme confidence in waiting until the final 200 metres before exposing Interest Free four-wide and from there he mowed down leader Solesseo Matuca and third-placed Khafaji, scoring by a half-neck.

“He’s got that electrifying turn of foot, but he can still do a bit of work,” Laugher said.

“(Solesseo Matuca) was probably a little bit further away than we would have liked, but he knuckled down really nice and let down like I was hoping he would.”

It was the second win of a running double for Douglas and Laugher, with Would You Mind winning the preceding DNR Logistics Pace.

 

MILES AND STANLEY BREAK DOWN THE FILLIES

The start to the two-year-old fillies Benstud Standardbreds Youthful Stakes was an eventful one and TrotsVision commentators and regular trainer/drivers David Miles and Michael Stanley broke it down. Here's how they saw the opening stages:

 

 

 

SANDAY AND SPRING TAKE WINNING FORM INTO FINAL

The Gordon Rothacker Memorial Championship carries a lucrative $30,000 prize on next Saturday night's Tabcorp Park Melton card, which it shares with the Group 3 mares races for pacers (Allied Express Cinderella Stakes) and trotters (Villawood Properties Maori Miss).

Sanday, for Andy Gath, was the first to qualify for the final, rolling forward as favourite Helluva made a costly early miss-step and then boxing on well for hard-earned win.

An $18 chance, Sanday scored by a head from leader Jilliby Fernando despite sitting in the breeze throughout, with a breather in the 31.8-second second quarter leaving plenty in the tank for the sprint home.

Jilliby Fernando, Sew What, Stingray Tara and Sixty filled out the first five home and will be joined in the final by Spring In His Step, Im Shadow Boxer, Villacci, Harry Ovens and Joe Nien.

They advanced from the second heat, which was won by Russell Jack and David Moran's favourite, who scored impressively despite being three-wide the trip.

"That was a run and a half," called Dan Mielicki as the race favourite held on to win by a short-half-head in a tireless display.

It was a night for gutsy displays, with Sanday, Would You Mind and Supreme Dominator among those also doing plenty of work before scoring.

The latter, for Joe Pace and James Herbertson, reaffirmed his class to register a 12th win, eight of which have come this season.

Herbertson sat outside leader Santa Casa Beach but without applying any pressure, with the 61.7-second first half enabling the lead pair to get home in 55.5 and make it a leader dominated affair.

In the end it was Supreme Dominator who clawed to the top to score by 1.6 metres and claim the Hip Pocket Workwear & Safety Pace.

 

THE TROTSVISION REPORT FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF STEWARDS

Before the last Brett Day joined the TrotsVision hosts to update on the events of the night.

 

 

 

THE THREE-YEAR-OLDS BATTLE IT OUT 

The night's racing concluded with a terrific bout between Bondi Lockdown and American Dealer in the TAB Long May We Play Pace.

Both have proven themselves to be among the grade's elite and, for the first time in Josh Dickie's hands, American Dealer tested Aaron Dunn's front runner throughout.

Dunn bustled Bondi Lockdown to the front but was tested by American Dealer early and then again in the sprint to the line, with the leader seemingly having the win in hand rounding the final turn before Nathan Purdon's colt rallied after Bondi Lockdown switched off.

Still, the pair got home in a brisk 55.6 seconds, and Dunn said while he "had to shake him up he came to the task, which was good".

Bondi Lockdown will now zero in on the Vicbred Super Series before considering a tilt at the four-year-old features in February.