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