Christen Me wins the Petstock Bendigo Pacing Cup for Dexter Dunn and Cran Dalgety.
Leading TAB.com.au Summer of Glory player Christen Me scored an all-the-way win tonight in the Group 2 Petstock Bendigo Pacing Cup.
The Cran Dalgety trained Kiwi superstar cleared out late for reinsman Dexter Dunn in the 2650m race, clocking a 54.1-second last half after being unchallenged in front mid-race, scoring a 14.1-metre win over runner-up Smudge Bromac.
First-up since finishing second to Terror To Love in a stirring Cranbourne Pacing Cup on December 6, Christen Me – the winner of last year's Miracle Mile in Sydney and the reigning Hunter Cup champion – will be hard to beat in the Victoria Cup on January 31.
Dunn was typically cool throughout tonight’s contest despite concession reinsman Zac Phillips pulling the first surprise off the arm and dashing to the lead from gate seven aboard outsider Hall Of Famer.
Christen Me quickly assumed the front with Hall Of Famer snaring the leader’s back.
Im Corzin Terror and driver Alex Ashwood got mobile early and worked around to find the breeze before more moves came as the pace slowed.
Chilli Palmer (Chris Alford), first-up from a spell, eased back to last early and the slow speed didn’t suit his cause.
However, the brilliant son of Elsu was the eye-catcher of the race, launching home out wide in the home straight to just miss second in a photo-finish. His late splits will be super and many punters will pencil him into their black book.
Smudge Bromac (Nathan Jack) produced a big run in second, the nine-year-old David Aiken trained entire the first of Aiken’s four cup runners over the line (Cold Major fifth, Wartime Sweetheart sixth and Jaccka Clive ninth).
Bendigo Cup Finishing Order
1: Christen Me
2: Smudge Bromac
3: Chilli Palmer
4: Im Corzin Terror
5: Cold Major
6: Wartime Sweetheart
7: Uncle Wingnut
8: Jaccka Clive
9: Hall Of Famer
