Aussie News - 31 August

By Adam Hamilton

REJUVENATED and much-travelled former Kiwi pacer Zennart has Miracle Mile winner King Of Swing to thank for his new lease on life.

When the move from WA to NSW was so massively successful for King Of Swing, some of his connections who also race Zennart decided to do the same and send him to Craig Cross and Luke McCarthy.

And now he’s a record-smashing Menangle winner.

Zennart’s scorching 1min51.4sec win over 2300m last night took 1.1sec off Clancys Fobwatch’s track record for the trip.

Perhaps a better comparison is the fact the time broke the Menangle 2400m record – the distance most of his major “staying” races are run over.

The time was an Australasian record.

Max Delight set that record at 1min51.5sec winning last year’s NSW Derby.

The race was full of sensations, the first coming when favourite and Miracle Mile placegetter Alta Orlando galloped out at the start an effectively took no part.

His buzz stablemate Balraj worked to the front, but overraced through a quick 47.7sec lead time and 56.3sec middle half. He did a mighty job to still fight on for second.

Another win of note on the night for Cross and McCarthy was No Win No Feed’s first-up victory, blazing a 1min50.8sec mile after scorching across from the outside draw to lead.

The four-year-old mare has won 10 of his 37 starts and the time sliced 0.4sec off her career-best.

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KATE Gath is headed towards some big decisions.

She and husband Andy already have Tornado Valley and McLovin set for the major trotting races and Majestuoso is looming as a genuine contender as well.

And all three are owned by Queenslander Norm Jenkin.

McLovin is spelling and Tornado Valley stayed home, while Majestuoso resumed from a spell with an impressive win in a brisk 1min58.7sec mile rate for 2200m.

It was his first outing since a third at Melton on March 28.

Majestuoso, last season’s Victoria Trotters’ Derby winner, has raced just 25 times for 12 wins and six placings.

Gath had more reason to smile at Ballarat when recent stable addition Pacifico Dream scored impressively at just his second run for the stable.

Pacifico Dream oozes potential, as shown by heats win in the NSW and Victoria Derbys. He ran fourth and fifth respectively in those finals.

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ONE former Kiwi upset the “party” for another higher-profile former Kiwi at Albion Park last night.

The speedy Northview Hustler used gate one to lead and land a betting plunge ($9 into $4.50) in a 1min54.9sec mile rate for 1660m.

Former All Stars’ pacer Ashley Locaz, first-up for the Vicki Rasmussen stable and having his first run since the Auckland Inter Dominion final last December, was $2 favourite and sat parked and finished a sound third 

It was a walk and sprint race with a 60.4sec first half and sparkling 26.1sec last quarter.

Later in the night, awesome Kiwi filly Amazing Dream bounced-back to winning form in a sparkling 1min53sec mile rate for 1660m.

Driven a tad more aggressively from a wide draw and with a run under her belt, Amazing Dream found a trail just off the pace and had the race run on the final bend.

The Northern Derby winner cruised to a 5.5m win for the Kylie Rasmussen/Darren Weeks team.

She’s campaigning in Queensland until she heads to Victoria for the Breeders Crown in October/November.

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Still in Queensland and another All Stars pacer One Change lifts the profile of a ho-hum Albion Park Tuesday meeting when he steps out again this week.

Now in the care of Vicki Rasmussen, One Change looked fantastic winning his first run during this Queensland stint at Albion Park last Tuesday.

The Bettors Delight colt came deep from midfield in some blazing late splits to snatch a 1.2m win in a 1min55.2sec mile rate for 2138m.

One Change was clocked to run his own late splits in 55.3 and 27.8sec.

He should be too good again, especially being the lone back row runner (gate eight), in the third race on Tuesday (at 5.12pm NZ time).

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DISAPPOINTING news out of WA with one of the state’s best pacers sidelined with injury.

It was revealed last Friday night, former WA Derby winner Handsandwheels had injured a rear suspensory ligament.

Trainer-driver Aiden de Campo told RWWA said the injury was “too serious” and he hoped to have Handsandwheels back racing early next year.

Handsandwheels boasts 28 wins from 83 starts and $666,739 in stakemoney.

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STILL in WA and Changeover gelding Convert Denario continues to emerge as a possible Fremantle and WA Cups contender.

Now in the care of Ray Williams, the six-year-old led throughout to turn the tables on a very gallant Bletchley Park from their clash the previous week.

Bletchley Park, a half-brother to Bling It On, has regained his best form since being switched to Stephen Reed’s stable and his effort come three-wide solo from last and run second was monstrous.

Like Bling It On, speed is Bletchley Park’s best asset and he absolutely looms as a smokey for the Fremantle and WA Cups as well.

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IT wasn’t a vintage version of the Group 2 Franco Australian Trotters Cup, but that won’t phase the Kiwi connections of winner More Shades Of Gold.

The five-year-old of Majestic Son snared a head win over Agent Maori for trainer Blake Fitzpatrick and driver Jack Trainor.

It was a good training performance by Fitzpatrick given More Shades Of Gold was just fourth-up after more than nine months away from the track.