■ The night’s first group 1, the $140,000 New Zealand Trotting Oaks (mobile trot) for 3-year-old fillies, was expected to be a match race between Australian star Tracy The Jet and Team Dunn’s Ya Rite Darl.
The first sensation was when Ya Rite Darl rolled into an early gallop. With her out of contention Tracy The Jet, The Ascent winner last week, and a $1.40 favourite, looked to have the race at her mercy. All the time Dash Dosh, with Blair Orange, sat in the trail and then outsprinted the hotpot in the passing lane. She paid $16 for the win.
The Dash Dosh-Tracy The Jet-Request (paying $18 a place) trifecta paid $734.
"She’s very fast," Orange said post race. "Holding the trail was the winning or losing of that race."
It was the fifth win in 17 starts for Dash Dosh, trained by Tom Bagrie.
■ Arafura — just wow. The Hayden and Amanda Cullen-trained pacer looked no chance in the $225,000 New Zealand Pacing Oaks (mobile pace), but Mark Purdon produced an absolute pearler of a drive to win. The combo were last with a lap to go, only for Purdon to peel four and five wide turning for home.
It was a blistering finish and "an enormous win", in the words of commentator Matt Cross.
A clearly emotional Hayden Cullen could scarcely believe what had unfolded.
"It was a hard watch ... I thought we were no hope turning in — I can’t believe it."
Princess Gracy and Chicago Sky stormed home late to fill the $1313.40 trifecta. It was Arafura’s fourth win in 16 starts.
■ For a third year in a row the girls outshone the boys in the $200,000 New Zealand Trotting Derby. And it was a top performance too from the Greg and Ben Hope-trained Habibti Pat, who was sent three wide by driver Orange at the 800m mark.
As the leaders shortened stride, Habibti Pat was in full flow as she secured her eighth win in 16 starts.
She follows other fillies Keayang Zahara and Sunnys Sister to win the derby. She paid $6, with favourite Meant To Be holding on for second ahead of Australian visitor Gatesys Gem.
It completed a Trotting Derby-Trotting Oaks double for Orange.
■ It was the war everyone wanted — Marketplace v Got The Chocolates. They were level at 9-9 going into the $300,000 New Zealand Pacing Derby,
although Got The Chocolates had won his last three meetings.
Not last night.
Craig Ferguson was aggressive early and got the lead, only for John Dunn to go up and sit outside with Got The Chocolates. Ferguson controlled the tempo and in the final 400m it was all on.
In the end, Marketplace had enough in reserve to hold out his rival who was parked throughout.
It was Marketplace’s 11th win in 21 starts and Ferguson’s second derby in a row after winning last year with We Walk By Faith.
The Marketplace-Got The Chocolates-Bettors Anvil trifecta paid $5.80.
As Marketplace’s trainer, Regan Todd, said post race: "How good is this for racing?"
■ The IRT New Zealand Cup winner Kingman looked unbeatable in the second ever running of the $125,000 The Christian Cullen 4yo Classic.
Backed into $1.40, that is exactly how it turned out.
Driver Luke McCarthy went back to last, launched three wide and into the lead and from there he was never going to get toppled.
The Lazarus Effect was outstanding in finishing second, with We Walk By Faith finishing third. — Harness Racing NZ
