Catch A Wave made a welcome return to the winners’ list last night in his heat of the Ride High Vicbred Super Series for three-year-old colts and geldings at Kilmore.
After settling third last, the Captaintreacherous gelding was sent forward by Kate Gath with a round to go to race outside the pacemaking Heza Son Of Agun.
Catch A Wave really put his rivals to the sword with a third quarter in 26.5 seconds and closed off in 28.7 as he waltzed away to win by 6.9 metres.
Last year’s Australian 2YO Colt of the Year and Breeders Crown champion, this was his 12th success from just 15 starts and spiked his stake earnings to $328,170.
In the second heat Roarforroscoe, a Betterthancheddar gelding trained and driven by Avenel horsewoman Juanita Breen, showed he will be a force in the series with a commanding 16.4 metres win.
After unsuccessfully contesting the lead, the gelding was eased back to the rear before launching a probing run three-wide in the back straight that carried him to the front soon after straightening.
The Victoria Derby and Breeders Crown placegetter Interest Free maintained his devastating form with a convincing end-to-end victory in the third heat, while the Aaron Dunn bred, owned, trained and driven Hot Deal notched his fourth consecutive win coming from eighth at the bell to capture the opening division.
The fillies’ section really belonged to Ballarat trainer Emma Stewart as she swept the four heats with the brilliant fillies Encipher, Jo An Jo, Petillante and Beach Life.
Encipher, the five-time Group 1 winner and ruling favourite for the series, boosted her stake earnings beyond the $500,000 plateau with a commanding all-the-way success over stablemate Soho Historia in the second heat.
The third heat saw the tightest contest of the night with Petillante leading and just staving off brave stablemate Amore Vita to prevail by a head in a ding-dong battle up the straight.
Jo An Jo, third in last year’s 2YO Vicbred final behind Amore Vita and Encipher, showed she was on cue for a tilt at this year’s title, finishing full of running to defeat her stablemate Talk Time in the opening heat.
Beach Life, a daughter of thrice Vicbred finalist Lovelist, completed the rout for the Stewart/Tonkin team with an effortless end-to-end win in the final heat.
