Our Waikiki Beach and Mark Purdon win the Breeders Crown 2YO Semi-Final at Ballarat.
Brilliant two-year-old gelding Our Waikiki Beach enhanced his record to 11 starts for 11 wins with an easy Breeders Crown semi-final victory at Ballarat on Saturday night.
Trained and driven by Mark Purdon, who also produced Our Dream About Me to win the 2YO fillies’ second semi-final, Our Waikiki Beach (Somebeachsomewhere/Cyclone Betty) worked to the lead in the space of the first furlong from gate four after initially being crossed by Zee Dana from seven.
Once in front it was all the way for the favourite, who posted splits of 29.9, 31.8, 29.3 and 27.7 to hold off Zee Dana by 3.9m in a mile rate of 1:57.5 over 2200m.
A Breeders Crown Final triumph next Sunday would see Our Waikiki Beach’s name etched among the annals as a modern day great two-year-old – a perfect dozen wins and the ultimate jewel in the two-year-old Crown.
His main danger might be the other semi-final winner Born To Rocknroll (Rocknroll Hanover/Aston Villa) from the Belinda McCarthy stable, who upstaged race favourite Shadow Sax (third beaten 6.8m) in the second semi, with Soho Tribeca trailing the winner throughout to finish second in 1:56.9.
Purdon’s other semi-final winner, Our Dream About Me, finished strongly to win the two-year-old fillies’ second semi by 3.3m over Zibibbo, while Michael Stanley trained and driven Soho Madeleine was third.
Our Dream About Me (by Bettors Delight out of Splendid Dreams) is unbeaten in seven career starts.
Queenslander Get In The Groove (Mach Three/Get Happy) from the Grant Dixon yard won the 2YO fillies’ first semi-final, overhauling odds-on favourite Hot Shot Woman by 5.2m.
Exciting young gun Heavens Trend scraped into the 2YO fillies’ final by finishing sixth after racing erratically in the last 150m. She went roughly when put under pressure and veered sharply towards the inside of the track before being straightened up by Gavin Lang in time to grab sixth (the first six semi-finalists make it through to the big dance).
Meanwhile, a mighty season for Birchip-owned Menin Gate would finish on the perfect note if the son of Somebeachsomewhere/Dreams Of Heaven was able to win the 3YO Breeders Crown colts and geldings’ final.
Menin Gate worked to the front in his second semi-final with second-favourite Follow The Stars on his back. They finished one-two, with Follow The Stars diving through late to finish a half-neck behind the Vicbred, Victorian and Queensland Derby champion from the Larry Eastman stable with Chris Alford in the gig.
Menin Gate rated 1:56.8.
Brent Lilley and Anthony Butt teamed up in the first of the 3YO males’ semis with well-backed Sluggem leading from gate three to defeat My Kiwi Mate by 3.1m, the runner-up going roughly at the home turn and losing ground before recovering, while Egodan ran third from the pole in a rate of 1:58.1.
The three-year-old fillies’ division is shaping as a blockbuster.
Ashley Siejka trained and driven Ameretto (Million Dollar Cam/Eyes Of Courage) was brilliant winning her semi-final in a track record rate of 1:54.4.
The pace was set by Katy Perry, who led from seven and paced the fastest ever lead time at Bray Raceway from the 2200m start (40.5secs) before reeling off splits of 30.6, 29.1 and 28.1.
The winner had the nice sit behind Katy Perry turning for home before overpowering her through a 28.1secs final quarter to score coming away by 9.3m.
Later it was Kiwi The Orange Agent’s time to shine, the Brian Hughes-trained and Maurice McKendry-driven daughter of American Ideal/Lady Fingers dictating terms in front (64.5secs first half) before dashing home in 54.5 to win by 3.5m over Start Dreaming (Barry Purdon).
Start Dreaming made a sharp run down the back the final time and did a terrific job to make up ground off a slow tempo, while Michael Stanley trained and driven Soho Tokyo sat in the chair throughout before battling on valiantly at the end to finish third beaten 12.9m in a rate of 1:58.8.
Other winners at Ballarat were Bellas Delight for trainer Kari Males and reinsman Greg Sugars in the Mountain View Stud Breeders Crown Graduate Mares Free for All in 1:55.1 over 1710m and Chasing A Win (Courage Under Fire/Priddy Good) in the Flying Horse Bistro 3YO Pace for Andy and Kate Gath.
The barrier draws for Breeders Crown Super Sunday will take place at Tabcorp Park Melton on Monday.
>> Video replays and results of Breeders Crown Semi-Final Night
