Restrepo takes out the Hamilton Pacing Cup for Gavin Lang.
“Watch out Guaranteed and Philadelphia Man, because he's back,” said Gavin Lang after driving Restrepo to a breathtaking Matthews Petroleum Hamilton Pacing Cup win on Sunday.
Lang would know; he’s driven all three of the Emma Stewart trained big guns to feature race success in recent weeks.
So for Restrepo’s large travelling throng of owners from Portland, Lang’s words in his cup presentation speech must have been music to the ears ahead of the TAB.com.au Summer of Glory on January 31 and February 7.
Last season’s Ballarat Cup winner took off with a lap to go and muscled his way to the front before running his rivals ragged with sustained power, leaving the deepest Hamilton Cup field in recent memory paddling in his wake.
As a result of Sunday's win the TAB slashed Restrepo's Hunter Cup odds from $21 to $12.
Lang spoke of his affinity with Restrepo, having driven the six-year-old son of Art Major/Shes Innocent at his first 42 racetrack starts before swapping to Philadelphia Man, which defeated Restrepo to win the Horsham Pacing Cup last weekend.
“It was good to get back on today,” Lang said.
The champion reinsman spoke of the satisfaction he got from driving in big races and thanked the large crowd in attendance at Hamilton for creating such a strong atmosphere.
Restrepo won by 21.4m over Kerryn Manning trained-and-driven Arden Rooney, who has placed in both country cup runs since making his Australian debut last weekend.
And Arber finished third for trainer Tim Bolitho and reinsman Greg Sugars, that pacer’s third Hamilton Cup minor placing.
But it was all honours to the winner, who slashed 1.4secs off the previous track record with a 1:57.4 mile rate over the 2660-metre stand-start trip.
Restrepo covered his last half-mile in 56.8secs, Lang taking the entire to the lead at the bell.
Once in front Restrepo put on one of the most powerful displays ever seen at Hamilton, sticking his neck out and breaking his adversaries’ hearts as the trots won new fans.
People who had not previously seen harness racing watched in awe as Restrepo did his thing. Post-race it was clear the sport had won new fans thanks to the cup winner’s display.
Of the beaten brigade Arden Rooney tried valiantly and will continue to improve in his new Great Western surrounds, Arber went enormous at big odds, Cut For An Ace ditto, Flaming Hero showed he will win a country cup sooner or later with a strong fifth and veteran Villagem was best of the rest.
Local favourite Abettorpunt struggled into 10th place after a tough run, while Blucolla Tigerpie (11th) and Jadahson (12th) raced on the pace but weakened well out of calculations from the 500m.
Restrepo’s win was one of four successes for Stewart at Hamilton on Cup Day, her other winners Starburst Girl in Race 4, Vanderley in Race 5 and Bettors Package in the last.
Lang drove three of the winners, while Nathan Jack scored on the impressive Vanderley.
The Fat Man saluted for local trainer David Lewis in Race 2, the Mountain View Stud Pace, the four-year-old by American Ideal out of Atomic Fusion romping in by almost 17m over 2160m in a rate of 1:59.1.
David Drury’s great run of form continued when Go Betweens notched his third win from 28 starts – and second straight success – in the Alexandra House Border Cup Final over 1660m in a rate of 1:59.1.
Drury almost made it a winning double when Kyms Boy loomed ominously behind long odds-on favourite Jilliby Jagger in the WDEA Pace, but the latter packed too much punch to score by 5.1m in 1:59.1.
The other winner for the day was impressive debutant trotter Franco Jaeger for driver Chris Alford, which held off Lady Mackendon in the PFD Trotters Handicap.
