There was a big band of winners at Tabcorp Park Melton after Cruisin Around saluted.
Cruisin Around cashed in some of the three-year-old trotter's much-touted talent to break through at Group level.
Five previous tilts at Group 1 success had produced three placings, a fourth and a fifth, but the floodgates may have opened for the gelding by Bacardi Lindy out of Cloud Chaser, who claimed Friday night’s Group 2 The VHRSC Holmfield.
“He did everything right, which is probably his biggest battle,” driver Greg Sugars said. “He has been his own worst enemy throughout his career, but this preparation he is really coming of age and getting more professional with each run.
“It was a terrific job by (Cranbourne trainer) Mick (Hughes) to manage him and bring him along steadily this time in and he is fulfilling his potential.”
Since being snapped up for $18,000 at the 2014 Australasian Premier Trotting Sales by David Scott and a large group of renowned trots owners, Cruisin Around has been to the track 18 times for eight wins, six placings and $84,957 in stakemoney.
But Sugars said it hadn’t all been smooth sailing and so he had to handle the three-year-old with kid gloves on Friday night.
“He has had a few issues in the past where he has really fired up behind the gate and basically broken as they say go,” he said. “He is getting better and better at that. He is more mature this time in.
“We couldn’t take too many risks at the start (on Friday night), but as soon as he came out trotting I knew he had the natural speed to hold out anything wide and I knew there wasn’t a lot of speed to our inside. It was a big relief once that first turn came up.”
Cruisin Around found the front, but the race was far from locked away with $3 chance Sundons Courage in the box seat. He is a familiar foe for Cruisin Around, having clipped him by a half-neck when Hughes' trotter was favourite to win the two-year-old Empire Stallions Vicbred Super Series final last July.
“He had the race shot to pieces in the Vicbred last year, over raced through the middle and just got grabbed on the line by Sundons Courage,” Sugars said.
And indeed it was a race in two come the final straight, but Chris Alford on Sundons Courage temporarily locked wheels with Shetland, enabling Cruisin Around to steal a length. When Alford recovered and steered Sundons Courage into the sprint lane he chomped up ground but ultimately fell a head short.
It was all the same a much deserved win for Cruisin Around and Sugars was hopeful it was a sign of things to come, with the Empire Vicbred Super Series trotters heats to begin June 21.
“Hopefully he can make amends this year. He showed last year he wasn’t too far away against the best in Australasia, running a gallant third after making a mistake in the Breeders Crown.
“There are some very lovely three-year-olds that will be contesting these races, it will by no means be easy for a horse like this, but he will certainly be in the mix.
“A lot of long-term harness racing participants are involved in this horse and it’s great to see after so many years in the sport they are still enjoying it and have a nice horse to cheer in some nice races.”
Friday’s night racing was otherwise notable for a dominant performance by Bolinda driver Mark Pitt, who narrowly leads the Muir Equine Supplies Concession Drivers Premiership by one from Jason Lee.
Pitt drove a treble on Friday night, the third of which came on Starburst Girl in the Group 3 Harness Breeders Victoria Richmond Lass.
Driving the least fancied of the three Emma Stewart runners, Pitt punched through the pouring rain to fly from the front row and lead, then pinched a break on the pack heading into the final bend.
A cast of classy swoopers struggled to make ground, and while Kerryn Manning’s Shes Just A Delight (third) and Larry Eastman’s Milly Perez (second) came off the pegs to challenge, Starburst Girl hung on by a metre for a fourth straight victory.
The four-year-old mare by Art Major out of Celebrity Ball has now amassed 14 wins from her 24 starts.
Pitt earlier drove Stewart’s Solarsonic (by Village Jasper out of Sunrain) and Wayne Potter’s favourite Itz Billy Hillis (by Bettors Delight out of Itz Got The Giggles) to victories to set up the treble.
The night was also notable for the win of Smudge Bromac, the 10-year-old favourite from David Aiken’s Avenel stable, in The HRTC Bendigo Enduro.
With $20,575 in stakemoney up for grabs and an in-form pacer in It Is Billy in his way, ‘old Smudge’ was undaunted and in Nathan Jack’s hands he rounded the field off It Is Billy’s back and rolled on to a neck victory ahead of Michael Barby and Anne-Maree Conroy’s favourite.
For Smudge Bromac, a stallion by Falcon Seelster out of Sabrina Bromac, it was a 35th win in his 190th start, which have yielded $429,273 in stakemoney.
Trainer Nicole Molander and driver Monique Burnett also walked away happy after the latter guided Will Mach My Word to victory in the $18,575 Alabar Pace, having found the lead and won by 3.8m on the gelding by Mach Three out of Queens Reach.
Racing returns to Tabcorp Park Melton on Saturday night for the popular Del-Re National Italian Cup.
Media enquiries:
Michael Howard (HRV Media/Communications Co-Ordinator)
t: 03 8378 0286 | e: mhoward@hrv.org.au | tw: @MichaelRHoward
