Brief Glance ambushed Elegant Image to win the Empire Stallions Vicbred Super Series Final for 4YO trotters
Alan Tubbs and Greg Sugars both enjoyed winning doubles at Melton’s Tabcorp Park on Friday night.
Tubbs’ two winners came in the night’s features, combining with Sugars to take out the first semi-final of the Empire Stallions Vicbred Super Series for 4YO geldings and entires with Melpark Maestro, before teaming with daughter Amy to win the Group 1 Super Series 4YO trotters’ final later in the evening with Brief Glance.
Sugars’ second success for the night came in the Radio Sport National Free For All aboard Jaccka Clive.
The Tubbs’ team was the toast of the town, though, with Brief Glance delivering Amy her second Group 1 glory in the space of seven days after she won the 3YO Super Series for trotters last weekend behind Brunelleschi.
From an inside-second-row draw on Friday night, Tubbs settled Brief Glance three back along the pegs as odds-on favourite Elegant Image found the lead for Kate Gath.
Living Bonus worked hard early and heaped pressure on the favourite before eventually settling in the breeze, while Lucky Twenty Three held the leader’s back for Gavin Lang.
Second-favourite for the race Kaptin Bly showed gate speed before handing the death chair to Living Bonus. He never looked a winning a chance after that.
Turning for home Elegant Image booted away and looked all but home, with I See Icy Earl getting home down the outside and looking a place chance.
Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Tubbs and Brief Glance exploded through along the sprint lane, out-sprinting the favourite to claim a neck victory in the $50,000 feature.
Elegant Image held on for second, with I See Icy Earl running on hard for third for Chris Lang. Living Bonus battled on for fourth, an enormous run, and is a horse to follow.
It wasn’t only in the trotters’ feature where Alan Tubbs played spoilsport for favourite punters.
Earlier in the evening his pacer Melpark Maestro signalled he would be a force to be reckoned with in next Friday’s Super Series 4YO pacers’ final, knocking over long odds-on favourite Abettorpunt in the series’ first semi-final.
Despite copping some midrace pressure, Abettorpunt had every chance.
Leading up to the race, however, trainer David Lewis said Abettorpunt was a better sit-sprinter. “He has to go forward but I think he’s better coming from behind,” Lewis said last week.
He was spot on.
The Tubbs team will have two chances to make it three from three in the Super Series next Friday, as the stable also managed to qualify Cut For An Ace for the 4YO geldings and entires final with a terrific fourth behind Jadahson in the second semi- final.
Cut For An Ace worked hard in the breeze and hit the front momentarily in the straight before Jadahson swooped home for John Caldow and Emma Stewart to get the chocolates in a thrilling blanket finish.
Ronald George was close-up in second place for Nathan Jack, while Keayang Rustler was third for Glen Craven.
Lombo Flashlight was not far off in fifth place, and was also a meritorious run afterdoing some work early for Jodi Quinlan.
Meanwhile, the powerful Chris Lang barn did what it does best in the Cammaroto Poultry Trot, with well-backed Dealornodeal scoring a magnificent last-to-first victory and stablemate Aleppo Sunrise completing a stable quinella by finishing second.
With Lang Sr in the gig, Dealornodeal hit the front halfway up the straight after being a clear last down the back.
He tracked Aleppo Sunrise, driven by Lang Jr, into the race before out-sprinting his stablemate in the run to the line.
A Group 1 win isn’t far away for Jaccka Clive if Friday night’s Radio Sport National Free-For-All is any sort of guide.
The David Aiken-trained seven-year-old worked hard three-wide early before finding the breeze for Greg Sugars.
Our Malabar, who was out to win this race for the third successive year, found the front early for Gavin Lang, while Rowan Direct was taking short cuts back in the field along the inside for Chris Alford.
Down the back the final time Jaccka Clive was being tapped up, while Our Malabar was seemingly travelling sweetly.
But on turning for home, Jaccka Clive was hitting his straps and he powered to the lead to score a tough win.
Our Malabar held second, while a typically masterful drive by Alford helped outsider Rowan Direct into third.
