Joyride delivers with last stride win at Addington

By Michael Guerin

Joyride is a filly with a big future and a lot of options judging by her win at Addington on Friday.

Because one way or another she is likely to be racing in Group 1s on either side of the Tasman before season’s end.

The Cran and Chrissie Dalgety-trained filly grabbed victory in the last stride of the opener at Addington, rating 1:56.8 for the 1980m on a cold night.

That she could win was hardly surprising because last season as a juvenile she looked up to the best of her age, including finishing fourth in Stella Rouge’s Sires’ Stakes Final and second in the Helen Pope Classic.

“She was up to most of them but she needed time because she was so big,” explains Cran.

“So she had a really long break to start this year and she has come back a big strong girl, she is 16 hands.”

Dalgety is confident with Joyride filling out she will be up to taking on our best fillies in races like the NZ Oaks later this season.

“I know she will be able to run with them, the question will be whether she can run past them.”

If the Dalgetys think she can’t then Joyride has the very inviting option of contesting the Vicbred series because while she is out of high class NZ mare Joyfuljoy the filly was purchased in Australia.

“We bought her in Sydney, I think for A$50,000, so she will have options over there if we think that is where she best placed later in the year,” explains Dalgety.

Chrissie Dalgety shares in the ownership of Joyride with, among others, well known harness racing writer Jonny Turner.

Joyride started a night full of good performances, with the heavily-backed Desert Dancer good winning on debut for Ken Barron, pacing his last 800m in 56.8.

Later in the programme Birdy made it back to back wins for trainer Laura McKay while Caught The Eye and Arden Seascape were excellent for Team Telfer on the night the TAB bookies crowned them as our champion trainers with an early payout.

But the run that left you wondering what might lie ahead came from debutante juvenile Zeus Lightning in the Its Time To Book With Woodlands Mobile.

Appropriately it was won by a son of the sponsor’s champion sire Bettors Delight and clearly one with big things ahead.

Trained by Hayden and Amanda Cullen, Zeus Lightning sat back for much of the race but exploded like a good horse at the 200m mark and won going away.

He has a long stride, plenty of improvement in him and already looks a potential big race player later in the season.