SA Harness Highlights - October 1, 2007

Duke Of Cornwall Turns Form Around

Duke of Cornwall recovered from a disappointing last start performance two weeks ago in Saturday night company where he dropped out to finish last, by returning to the winners circle last Friday night at Globe Derby Park.

Penfield trainer John Craig blamed a poor preparation and better opposition for the performance.

“He got shod that week and missed a day of work, so that is all I can put it down to. His preparation wasn’t right, plus it was a step up in class” Craig said.

Duke Of Cornwall seemed to appreciate the return to Friday night racing, with driver Shaun Adams taking the sit behind the leader and using the sprint lane to record his third win in four starts.

The eight-year-old gelding was claimed by Craig for just $1000 in October last year and since then has won six of his 19 starts, for a career record of 10 wins from 65 starts.

Duke Of Cornwall is the fifth foal and first pacing progeny from trotting mare, Final Look. Final Look’s second foal is Missus Havachat, the dam of My Hero who recently made a successful transition from struggling trotter to successful pacer under the conditioning of Claire Goble.

 

Dream Lady Cruises to Three Straight

Dream Lady continued her brilliant form at Globe Derby Park on Saturday night by recording her third successive victory and fifth from her past seven starts.

The six-year-old daughter of US-bred sire Jet Laag had posted sub two-minute performances in her past two starts over the 1800-metre journey and went close to a similar time over last weekends 2230-metre trip, rating a smart 2:00.8.

Dream Lady has been prepared by Globe Derby trainer-driver Cheryl Herman for the past two years, and registered her first lifetime win and first for the stable in March last year. Dream Lady added a further two successes to her resume, at Port Pirie and Mildura, in July last year before a year-long winning drought, although she only started on 11 occasions in that 12 months.

Her next victory came at Globe Derby Park on July 9 this year in her first run for 2007 after a seven month break, and started a brilliant run of form which has included five wins and two seconds from seven attempts. Her career record now stands at eight wins and 16 placings from just 41 starts.

Dream Lady is the first of three foals from race winning Whats Next mare On Baller bred by Leo Newbound, and is now raced by her trainer-driver Cheryl Herman and husband Jim.

 

Love The Sound of Winning

Lightly raced mare Love The Sound scored an impressive victory a fortnight back despite being posted three wide for the final circuit, and backed up last Friday night to prove the win was no fluke with a tough, front-running win.

Love The Sound, a four-year-old mare by SA and Hunter Cup winning sire Safe And Sound, was bred by, and is still race by, her trainer Mark Koehn along with Richard Coates and David Schoolderman.

The mare debuted as a three-year-old earlier this year but had no luck in her initial three starts. Breaking in the score-up before finishing third at her first start, and racing three wide at various stages in her other two appearances.

She returned to the track two weeks ago with a very good win over Wroxton Witha Dash and Ultmate Decision.

In form reinsman Scott Ewen was in the sulky on that occasion, but due to suspension he was replaced by David Harding for last Friday nights race where Love The Sound was sent out a $1.70 favourite from barrier one.

Narrowly holding the lead after a first turn charge from horses on her outside and then withholding a mid-race challenge from last start winner Inouno, Harding was able to give his charge a chance to recover before urging her to the line to record a four-metre victory.

 

Wow, What a Weekend for Topnotch Harding

The new harness racing season has a fresh start, but some familiar names are already making their mark.

After a slower than usual start to the season, David Harding has launched himself back to the top of the state drivers premiership following a big weekend in which he landed himself seven winners across the two meetings.

South Australia’s leading reinsman for the past three seasons, Harding started the weekend behind early season premiership leader Paul Cavallaro, but finished in front courtesy of a quartet of winners at Globe Derby Park on Friday night and a treble on Saturday night.

Love The Sound, Mendacity, Four Carat and Wow What A Night provided the spoils on Friday night while Topnotch Sam, Stefanys Handshake and Cullens Hope gave Harding a running treble in successive races at the tail end of Saturday nights card.

Golden Grove Maestros, Peter Sergi and Joe Carbone, will campaign in the 2007-2008 season as a training partnership after previously preparing runners as separate stables.

Had the pair been officially training in partnership last season, they would have easily taken out the SA trainers premiership by preparing 76 winners for the term. As it stands Sergi finished second on 54 wins and Carbone equal eleventh with 22.

However the Maestros will officially be a joint force this season and despite Peter Sergi’s name featuring in the premierships, as it does now with him four wins clear of Bronte Giorgio on top of the state table, you can rest assured Joe Carbone is just as big a force in the stables operation.

 

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Neal Conder

HRSA Ltd

 

SA Harness Highlights - 24 September 2007

Highs and Lows for Ewen

Two Wells horseman Scott Ewen has experienced the highs and lows of harness racing in the past week.

Coming off his most successful season in the sulky to date with 58 winners – his previous best was 27 – Ewen has started 2007-2008 in a similar style recording six winners within the first three weeks of the season.

But unfortunately for Ewen, he will be watching from the sidelines now for a little over a week after ending his winning week with a suspension from the trotters event at Globe Derby on Saturday night.

Ewen’s run started with a treble and two seconds at last Monday afternoon’s meeting where he dominated the early part of the day.

Running second on Unique Style by the barest of margins in the opening race and then finishing in the same position aboard Tommy Thegun in the second race, Ewen followed with a winning treble in the next three races.

Teaming up with Globe Derby trainer Reg Trevean, Ewen partnered 10-year-old gelding Nutfield to a late charging victory before winning in a similar manner with the Trevean-trained trotter, Malhana Destroyer.

Dancing Silks, trained by Ewen himself, brought about the treble in race five, starting favourite and leading throughout the event before holding off Shy Lauren for the win.

The success continued on Friday night for Ewen with a ‘bookend’ double.

Chromeazone, another from Ewen’s own Two Wells stable, led throughout and saluted the judge in the opening event. Ewen was back in the winners circle in the final event, steering the Mark Koehn-trained mare Love The Sound to a maiden victory.

However the week ended on a sour note with Ewen earning a 10-day suspension aboard Stefanys Handshake on Saturday night and putting a short hold on his teams winning start to the new season.

 

Long Wait for ‘Winning’ Feeling

Prior to last Friday night’s Globe Derby Park meeting, Inouno and Physical Graffiti had gone a combined six years without tasting victory.

For the Michael Winning trained and driven Inouno, 3 September 2004 was the last time the seven-year-old mare had crossed the line first, while the Vince Albanese-prepared 11-year-old Physical Graffiti had not won since 15 June of the same year.

But within half and hour of each other on Friday night, both pacers were winners.

In similar style both horses came from the position behind the respective leaders to claim narrow victories over more fancied rivals and repay a small part of the faith shown in them by their very patient connections.

 

Rovers Returning Again And Again

Smart trotting mare Rovers Return has raced 52 times in the past two seasons for Penfield trainer-driver David Smith, recording six wins and 12 placings.

Rovers Return has not had an extended rest for 10 months, starting at least twice a month since December last year.

But if her last seven starts, in which the seven-year-old has won four races and finished runner-up on the other three occasions, are anything to go by Rovers Return loves the consistent racing routine.

A second win in three starts came last Friday night, with David Smith steering the mare to an effortless but impressive four-metre victory over Radiant Storm and Illumni.

 

SABOTRA Awards Function Next Sunday

SABOTRA will hold their Awards function at the Paceway Restaurant, Globe Derby Park on September 30.

Awards being presented on the day will include the SA Bred 2-year-old Finalist, Southern Cross 2-year-old Finalist, SA Bred 3-year-old Finalist, Southern Cross 3-year-old Finalist and the SA BOTRA 4-year-old and Older Horse of the Year.

The day will start at 11.30am for 12 noon and cost per person in $25 which includes a smorgasbord dinner.

SABOTRA will also conduct a Stallion Auction on the day. Stallions to be auctioned are Die Laughing, Conch De Ville, Sign Off, Flight N Irish, Wrath Of Pan, My Handsome Fella, Framework, Zooma, Armbro Oliver, Wind Cries Maori, Our Sir Vancelot, Jeremys Gambit, Mystical Shark, Wingspread, Whiteland Trouble, Satans Command and Righteous Hanover.

Tickets for the Awards Function can be obtained by contacting Jo Kuchel on (08) 8365 4888 or 0431 126 271, Sharen Hoogmoed on 0422 436 289, or any SA BOTRA Committee Member.

No tickets will be sold at the door.

 

 

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Neal Conder

HRSA Ltd

 

SA Harness Highlights - 10 September 2007

Smith’s First Win For Boss

Young Kapunda reinsman Matthew smith recorded his first win for the Toby Ryan stable on Saturday night at Globe Derby Park, partnering Jet Laag mare Nancy Anne to a maiden victory.

Raced by Arrowcrest Standardbreds and Latengo Pty Ltd, the same partnership as stablemate and Vicbred winner Elysees Crest, Nancy Anne joined the Toby Ryan team in July after racing with Steven O’Donoghue in Victoria.

Matthew Smith has been spending his weekdays working with Ryan at his Roseworthy stables and picked up the drive much to his own surprise.

“It wasn’t until I looked at the fields that I saw Toby had put me on,” Smith said.

“I have been driving her a fair bit in work. She has been working with Capreolate and Toby has been driving her while I have been working with Nancy Anne,” he added.

The four-year-old mare had not been to the races since a Globe Derby race in early July, and had deliberately been kept fresh for Saturday nights engagement.

“In Victoria she had been running her best races at the trials, so this time in we decided it might be better not to trial her, just work her at home and take her to the races as fresh as possible,” Smith said.

Despite being sent out a $5.80 second elect, Nancy Anne looked the winner from the moment Smith steered her into a three-wide trail 1000-metres from home. Driving patiently, Smith kept the mare undercover until the home turn where she motored past the leaders to win by eight metres.

Although the win may be the breakthrough that kick-starts more success, it is likely Nancy Anne will only race until the end of the month before she is sent to the breeding barn where she will be served by Life Sign.

 

Triumphant Return To Form

Mollys Triumph burst back onto the winners list on Saturday night, registering an impressive, all-the-way eight-metre victory and putting a few ordinary performances behind her.

The seven-year-old mare was forced from the track in March following a quarter crack complaint that worsened during a close second placing in Country Graduation Final, and her three starts back had produced a best result of fifth.

Angaston trainer Gary Coombes partly blamed himself for her the poor form, but also recognised a minor but important gear change put her mind back on the job.

“She wasn’t quite fit enough before as I was working her with (then three-year-old) Theocracy and I was probably keeping her back to him, which wasn’t the best thing in the long run,” Coombes said.

“She slipped a crupper a few starts back so we put a tail tie on her and she just wouldn’t go.”

The tail tie came off prior to last Saturday nights race and that, along with a draw that allowed her to lead, were the keys to a change in attitude. A mid week hitout also showed Coombes she might be back in form.

“She is definitely better in front but I also think she is getting better with age,” Coombes said, “We went to Kapunda last week where I do a couple of miles pace work then a rest, and then a mile. She came home in 58 so I told Scotty she would zip home for him.”

While the recent break due to the equine influenza shut down may have disrupted the training regime of many horses around the state, and certainly forced an change in routine for Mollys Triumph, Coombes admitted it may have been a blessing.

“(The Equine Influenza) has impacted a little bit. I have been lunging her and driving her around a two acre paddock at home, and I probably lost a little bit with her. But she does race well fresh and she should hold that (form) for a little while now.”

Just like fellow mare Nancy Anne who also won on Saturday nights Globe Derby program, Mollys Triumph has a future in the breeding barn

“I would like to get one foal from her and then see what happens. She is a Vanston Hanover mare and I have already had an approach from Queensland as they have done all right up there,” Coombes said.

But while she is racing in good heart and showing the zip she displayed on the weekend, Gary Coombes will keep sending her to the racetrack.

 

Super Six Kicks Starts Season for Cav

Fresh from a great season in which he finished second on the Metropolitan Drivers Premiership and third on the State table, Paul Cavallaro dominated the opening Saturday night Metropolitan meeting of the 2007-2008 season with four winners, on top of a double at Friday night’s Globe Derby meeting.

In total, after the first three meetings of this current racing term, Cavallaro had 11 drives and finished no further back than fourth with six winners, four thirds and a fourth.

With the first ‘full strength’ race meeting of the season on Friday night, the Golden Grove based reinsman started with a winner courtesy of the Joe Puccini-prepared Per Sempre in race one, then kicked home Im Slippery When Wet later in the night for his father Neil.

The win by Im Slippery When Wet was the four-year-old mare’s first victory at her 47^th racetrack appearance and came on the back of two second placings at her most recent starts.

Cavallaro doubled his tally on Saturday night with a treble for his father-in-law Peter Sergi and added a further win with Smoke On The Water who he trains himself.

In a similar fashion to the previous nights program, Cavallaro kicked off the night with a win in the opening race, leading all the way aboard Johnny Doika for an easy eight metre victory.

Smoke On The Water brought up an early double in race two before another all the way win later in the night with giant pacer Conte De Cristo earned Cavallaro a treble. Conte De Cristo, in just his second race start since the Mildura Cup Final in April, cruised around the Globe Derby circuit with a pedestrian 65.4 second first half before scorching home in 56.6.

A third successive win by Assert brought up a second career quartet for Cavallaro, with his other foursome courtesy of Money Go Round, Kooross, Chatham Chatter and My Estate also at Globe Derby Park in June 1997.

In the ten years between the two quartets, Cavallaro has also driven 12 trebles to establish himself as one of the top drivers in the state.

 

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Neal Conder

HRSA Ltd