Aussie News - 15 June

By Adam Hamilton

THE style was different, but the result was the same.

Menangle marvel Cash N Flow made it seven wins on end at Sydney’s harness headquarters last night.

While he’s been dominating from the front, the Mach Three gelding settled midfield in the running line and simply blew his rivals away for high speed.

The rising eight-year-old ran his own last half in 54.1sec at the end of a 1min50.2sec mile.

“We learnt a bit more about him last time when we backed him up within a week and they got a bit closer to him than they had been,” driver Luke McCarthy said.

“He’s a dead-set miler and he thrives on racing every second week, rather than backing-up quickly.”

Cash N Flow had two weeks between runs when he won at Menangle last night by 8.2m, taking his season’s haul to 10 wins and almost $190,000 in earnings.

Another Menangle winner of note was former top Tassie pacer Harjeet, who showed a glimpse of his best for Jimmy Rattray with a 1min51sec mile win.

Harjeet won 16 races in Tassie before scoring at his first Menangle run on November 2, last year, but he went winless in six runs after that.

He didn’t beat much, but, hopefully, Rattray can get him back to his best form and he would be a genuine free-for-all player.

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TEAM Bond’s golden season rolled-on with Jett Star’s powerhouse win in the $100,000 Group 1 Pearl final for two-year-old colts and geldings at Gloucester Park Friday night.

The Kiwi-bred Bettors Delight colt, driven by Ryan Warwick, overpowered the leader and favourite, Lavra Joe, in a stirring battle to win by three metres in a 1min56sec mile rate for 2130m. They ripped home in 55.6 and 27.5sec.

Greg and Skye Bond bought Jett Star as a yearling in NZ, named him after their 10-year-old son Jett, and left him with Brent Mangos to prepare before being sent across to WA.

Jett Star is unbeaten in four runs and nominal favourite for WA’s biggest two-year-old race, the Golden Slipper, next month.

“I wasn’t sure he’d make a two-year-old at the start, he’s got such a long stride, but he’s just kept improving,” driver Ryan Warwick said.

“He’s much better from behind because he tends to switch on and off in front, but he chased really hard.

“When they went that (quick) lead time and I started to move into it, I knew they’d have to be very good to beat me.”

Lavra Joe was far from disgraced after a quick lead time and solid middle tempo, while third-placed Carabao looks a like type in the making.

Team Bond also won the fast-class race of the night with the promising The Bird Dance. The four-year-old has won 13 of his 17 runs since coming across from NZ.

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THE most-anticipated race of the week in Victoria didn’t quite deliver.

As soon as last night’s Shepparton fields came out, focus turned to the clash between the emerging Sirletic’s clash with veteran star San Carlo.

Neither of them won. Instead, Courageous Saint came off the leader, Sirletic’s back, to cause the upset.

Josh Aiken led easily on Sirletic from the pole, but really stepped things up when San Carlo made a three-wide move out of the one-one to go to the breeze.

Sirletic went 28.4sec from the 1200-800m then 27.9sec down the back, but tired late in a 29.5sec closing quarter.

Sadly San Carlo’s run – his first since January 24 - was short-lived and he looked a shadow of himself and just laboured into a well-beaten fourth.

Sirletic will certainly improve on the run, given it was only his third outing in 15 months.

He’s got special significance as he races on in the colours of the late Gavin Lang and is part-owned by Lang’s widow, Meagan.

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CLASSY pacer Major Times has been one of the real stars of Victoria’s zoned racing during COVID restrictions.

The son of Art Major’s raced nine times during COVID – all in the fast-class races at Melton - for four wins, two seconds and three thirds. He’s pocketed $42,920.

Emma Stewart’s entire is one of those horses you’d love to own, having been competitive at the top level all through his career, including a NSW Derby placing at three.

Major Times has raced 40 times for 17 wins, 16 placings and $214,095.

Jodi Quinlan took the reins again on Friday at Melton when Major Times worked forward to lead, then roared home in 54.9 and 27.2sec to hold-off War Dan in the trail for a half-neck win in a 1min55.2sec mile rate for 2240m.

Emerging trainer Matty Craven snared a double at the Melton meeting with promising trotting filly Pink Galahs and four-year-old mare Miss What Usain.

Pink Galahs just staved-off stablemate Gus An Maori to post her seventh win from just 12 runs and she looms as a major player in the three-year-old trotting features pushed back to later this year.