SA Harness Highlights - December 8, 2007

Maybe Third Time Lucky for Hill

For the third time in four years, Penfield reinsman Wayne Hill will represent South Australia at the Australasian Young Drivers Championship, to be conducted during the 2008 Watpac Inter Dominion Carnival in Victoria next year.

Hill earned his right to wear the state colours for a third time after finishing 20 wins ahead of his sister Danielle in the SA Young Drivers premiership during the 2006-2007 season. Danielle Hill is the only other South Australian driver to attend the Young Drivers Championship in the past four years.

The Australasian Young Drivers Championship is fought out by 10 of the best junior reinsman under the age of 25, with a representative from each state of Australia, three from New Zealand plus the defending Champion. Wayne Hill turned 25 last week however he is still eligible to compete as he was below the required age at the start of the racing season.

Amazingly Tasmania has been the most successful state in the Championship since its inception under the current format in 1993. Apple Isle reinsman have won the title on five occasions, including three of the last five years.

No South Australian has finished at the top of the rankings, with Danielle Hill (2006) and Gary Buckley (2001) getting the closest by both finishing as the runner-up. Wayne Hill will be hoping to change that and build on his previous placings of ninth (2005) and eighth (2007).

It is only the second time the Australasian Young Drivers Championship has been conducted in Victoria, although they did hold the initial heats of the Tasmanian Series in 2006.

The 2008 Championship will be held between February 20 and 23 at Ballarat, Geelong, Bendigo and Moonee Valley.

 

Mermaid Stakes Goes So Deep

Kiwi-bred filly So Deep did all the work in the 2007 Ridley Agri-Products Mermaid Stakes and was still too good for her rivals, winning by eight metres in a rate of 2:01.2 to give driver David Harding his first win in the race.

So Deep was purchased by Dr Richard Noble from her breeders Alabar New Zealand, prior to a heat of the two-year-old fillies Australasian Breeders Crown in July and sent to Globe Derby trainer Les Harding. She subsequently finished a disappointing ninth after pulling hard in the race and was set for a spell.

The daughter of Safely Kept, out of In The Pocket mare Heel On, had impressed with two trial victories in the lead up to last Saturday nights feature by beating a couple of her highly fancied rivals and punters didn’t miss the trial form by installing her as an odds-on favourite.

From barrier six David Harding edged forward to sit outside the in-form leader Art For The Heart, and allowed So Deep to show her class by edging to the lead in the back straight on the last occasion and holding off a challenge from Fragments in the run home.

Driver Mark Billinger and his trainer-father Val were searching for back-to-back Mermaid Stakes victories with reigning South Australian Horse of the Year Same Action, but the filly had to settle for fourth place after getting back in the field.

So Deep might have only won two races now but her stakes have ticked past the $30,000 mark due to her first win in New Zealand being in the listed Delightful Lady Classic.

The SA Oaks now looks a likely target in the New Year.

 

Locals – and Former Locals - Shine At The Valley

Conte De Cristo won his first clash with full-brother Conte Centovalli at Moonee Valley on Saturday night, however the Carbone-Sergi trained gelding had to be content with second place.

Conte De Cristo was driven well by leading junior reinsman Nathan Jack in his first steer of the horse, getting on the back of the leader and favourite Karlsruhe, however they couldn’t catch him in the home straight and finished a 2.5 metre runner-up.

Earlier in the night on the same card Our Mateship had not luck in finishing tenth for his Roseworthy trainer Rob Caruso. Quantum Kiwi won the event but Unique Style was an eye-catching third for former Two Wells horseman Scott Ewen who has recently taken a position with the Lance Justice stable.

Another South Australian ex-pat in former Gawler River trainer Greg Norman also shone at Victoria’s harness racing headquarters when he put the polish on Sportivo for a third-up victory in the hands of legendary reinsman Brian Gath.

 

Consistent Night for Harvey

Kadina trainer-driver Leah Harvey enjoyed a successful night at Port Pirie on Friday, driving a winner, training a quinella and placing in two others. In fact the only time Harvey was not in the placings was aboard the Bill Atkinson-trained Tell No Tales which finished fourth. 

Harvey finished second in the first event on the Jayson Adams trained Atom Again and third in the second race on Contrarymary Lombo, trained by herself.

She was in the winners circle in the fourth event on the card aboard the Anne Rogers trained Fleetwoodjazz. It was the seven-year-old geldings first start since March and he showed great heart to find the line first.

Harvey then trained a quinella in the sixth event, where she drove Pacific Lignum into second place while Hyland Zali was the victor for Kapunda reinsman Matthew Smith.

Both fillies were racing for the first time this year with the three-year-old Alabar Southern Cross Series being a long term target.

Despite piloting the odds-on favourite Lignum Twister in the final event, Harvey was forced to settle for second place behind Our Deal, but must have finished the night satisfied with the results.

 

 

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Neal Conder

HRSA Ltd