The twilight Show Day meeting, complete with four group 1s and two $500,000 slot races, took place at Addington Raceway last night.
• The day’s opening group 1 produced an Australian victory. Victoria’s Kyvalley Ray, trained by ex-pat Kiwi Brent Lilley, made it three wins from four New Zealand starts. Driver Blair Orange was unhurried off the gate, and sat parked for most of the journey outside Petite Amour and John Dunn. It came down to a two way battle with Kyvalley Ray just out-muscling Petite Amour. Who’s Ya Daddy finished third.
• The Australian domination continued with a very emotional victory in the $500,000 slot race for the trotters. Gun Victorian filly Tracy The Jet and driver James Herbertson led from start to finish; hot on her heels was fellow Australian Gatesys Gem, who held on stylishly for second.
Tracy The Jet set a national record of 2:23.7 (1980m). Youneverknow finished third.
There were plenty of tears and hugs post race, with Tracy The Jet’s trainer Jess Tubbs returning to Addington for the first time since the death of her husband Greg Sugars in April.
• It was the second group 1 for the week and the 50th overall for co-trainer Cran Dalgety when favourite All Of Me took out the 2YO Fillies group 1. It was a Cran and Chrissie Dalgety-trained quinella, with The Queens Gambit (Kimberly Butt) second.
• It takes some trotter to win the Cup Group 1 double, but that’s exactly what Aussie star Gus has done this week.
He followed up his win in the Renwick Farms Dominion Trot with a dominant win in the Free For All. Driver Pete McMullen was forced to bide his time from a second row draw, only to make a mid race move and sit parked outside hotpot Jilliby Ballerini.
As the $1.75 favourite faded, Gus was only getting warmed up and he cleared out from the pack in impressive fashion.
• "The Velocity" Mobile Pace was billed as the $500,000 match race between Marketplace and Got The Chocolates, and what a race it was.
From his handy draw (2) favourite Marketplace headed for the front with Craig Ferguson controlling the tempo. John Dunn meanwhile had to go three wide and then sit parked with Got The Chocolates before he served it to his great rival. He was four lengths off the lead at the 400m mark but it was Got The Chocolates who prevailed, with Australian Fait Awaits and Bettors Anvil filling the minors.
• In the night’s last group 1, the Allied Security NZ Pacing Free For All, Leap To Fame rolled to the front as Australia continued to make their presence felt.
Big Kiwi hope Republican Party pushed him hard in finishing second, with Merlin holding on for third. — Harness Racing New Zealand
By Dave Di Somma
