Catch A Wave grabs Group 1 double

By Adam Hamilton

Brilliant Victorian pacer Catch A Wave produced a career-best performance to complete an historic double at Gloucester Park last night.

Just a week after his epic $1.25mil Group 1 win in the Nullabor, Catch A Wave stormed around the field from last to first to win last night's $300,000 Group 1 Fremantle Cup.

It was a stunning performance to come three, four and then five-wide around them to win.

Catch A Wave's turn of speed rekindled memories of the great Im Themightyquinn.

"He just felt awesome tonight, absolutely awesome,” driver Kate Gath said.

“Even though we were back last, they ran along strongly enough and when I got the three-wide trail into it he was travelling so well. Even when I had to come four-wide so far from home, he exploded.”

Catch A Wave scored by a neck and broke Kiwi great Smolda’s track record by 0.1sec with a 1min55.7sec mile rate for the marathon 2936m trip.

It was his 22nd win from just 38 starts and his seventh at Group 1 level. He's nudging close to $2 million in prize money.

“We came here thinking he’d be competitive, but knowing we’d need luck. To go home having won both (Group 1) races is just unbelievable,” Gath said.

Trainer Andy Gath added: “It’s been an unbelievable trip. Wouldn’t be able to achieve this if it wasn’t for Greg and Skye (Bond) and their wonderful facilities. They’ve been so great to us during our time here.”

Catch A Wave will go for a break now with his next major target being the Group 1 Len Smith Mile at Menangle on September 7. Then comes the Group 1 Victoria Cup at Melton a month later.