Chris Lang and Chris Lang Jnr celebrate Let Me Thru's Breeders Crown success
He had to fight for it, but Let Me Thru officially announced himself Chris Lang’s next great squaregaiter with a second consecutive Tabcorp Australasian Crown title at Tabcorp Park, Melton.
After a tough run and stirring duel with fellow rising star Down Under Muscles in the $50,000 Group 1 4YO Trotters Final, Let Me Thru exploded at the top of the straight – unleashing a 27.5-secong last quarter to amaze even his trainer.
“He is a horse of the future no doubt,” the Nagambie horseman said. “Sundons Gift is obviously considered Australia’s best trotter, but I think he’s our next best.
“Along with Down Under Muscles, they’re both exceptional horses those two, so to win as he did, I hope he’s the heir apparent. He’s definitely the real deal.”
Pratted three and four-deep early from his wide front-line draw with Chris Lang Jnr in the cart, the hulking son of Muscles Yankee persisted to take up the running at the 1600m.
After finding the lead after a 47.1sec lead time, Lang Jr attempted to control the speed in a 62.8sec first half of the last mile, but when Chris Alford worked around the field with Down Under Muscles the race began in earnest.
Careering away from their rivals in a 29.3sec third term, the two outstanding prospects fought the race out with only 1.5 metres separating them in a two-minute mile rate. Aleppo Sunrise was 19m away in third.
Let Me Thru, now a winner of 11 of 18 starts and almost $202,000 in stakes, emulated former stablemate Skyvalley, who last year won the four-year-old Breeders Crown title 12 months after also scoring at three.
It also saw Lang extend his lead as the most success trainer in Breeders Crown history with seven wins.
It was a historic day for the family with Lang’s older brother Gavin became the most successful Breeders Crown reinsman when he teamed with Passions Promise to win the $308,000 2YO Fillies Final.
Lang broke the deadlock with Chris Alford when the Jayne Davies-trained filly provided him with his seventh Breeders Crown success to give him outright honours as the greatest reinsman in the 13-year history of the series.
It was “The Iceman” at his coolest, as he overcame the extreme front line draw to lob one-out, one-back within 800m.
Favoured duo Lively Moth and Aussie Made Lombo led the way and after a moderate 62.3-second first half of the last mile, Passions Promise had to unleash a powerful finish to reel in the leaders in a slick 56.3sec last half.
The daughter of Modern Art prevailed by a head from luckless New South Wales visitor Sheezallattitude with Aussie Made Lombo a further head away. Lively Moth weakened after leading and finished in fourth spot.
