Maffioso and Chris Alford coast home in their Breeders Crown heat
The Australasian Breeders Crown hasn’t been kind to Maffioso, but this could be his year if his performance in tonight’s four-year-old entires and geldings heats at Melton’s Tabcorp Park is any indication.
The Peter Tonkin-trained star, who has finished second in both his two and three-year-old finals, was the standout performer of the four heats for his age group.
The son of Presidential Ball affirmed his status as the horse to beat in next Sunday’s inaugural $100,000 Group 1 final with a stunning victory.
The recent Chariots Of Fire champion posted a 1:59.4 mile rate on his way to a 27-metre win over Givitaname. Filling third to secure his spot in the final was Mybilly Jasper.
Winning reinsman Chris Alford said the multiple Group 1 winner, who has now won 23 of his 37 starts, was right at the top of his game.
“He’s full of confidence at the moment and when he’s strong and healthy like he is now he’s a hard horse to beat,” he said. “It’s going to take a good one to beat him next week.”
Especially after he came up with number four at tonight’s barrier draw for the 2240m final. He will roll from gate three if emergency Francos Lancelot doesn’t gain a start.
But he’ll have 11 rivals out there trying to beat him and Tear It All Away, Trojan Luck and Rohan Home were the other heat winners.
The latter did nothing to harm his rating as the main danger to the favourite with a soft win in the final qualifier.
The Paul Fitzpatrick-trained son of Riverboat King was given an easy time of things by reinsman Gavin Fitzpatrick and had three metres to spare over the fast-finishing Slick Bromac in 2:01.3.
That was 0.9sec slower than what Trojan Luck went to hold off Frankie Maguire and Im Mark Antony for an upset win at $23 in the third heat.
Tear It All Away’s 1:58.7 was the fastest mile rate of the entires and geldings heats, carrying the Geoff Webster-trained son of Armbro Operative to a 3-1/2m win over Petes Elect and The Seventh Son.
4YO E&G: (Front) The Seventh Son, Real Smooth Lombo, Francos Lancelot (emerg), Maffioso, Givitaname, Rohan Home, Mybilly Jasper; (back) Im Mark Antony, Slick Bromac, Trojan Luck, Petes Elect, Frankie Maguire, Tear It All Away.
