Impressive Rap Artist looks on track to complete the Sky Racing Southern Cross double when he contests the three-year-old colts and geldings final (2230m) at Globe Derby Park on Saturday night.
A winner of the two-year-old version at Port Pirie last year, Rap Artist has won his last nine starts and is peaking at the right time for trainer-driver Mark Billinger.
But the two semi-finals at Globe Derby Park on Saturday night, indicated it will be no ‘walk in the park’ for the star pacer.
Billinger’s brother Darren, will be staking his own claim, with the ever-improving Futurist, a strong winner of the first semi-final.
A $3.50 chance, Futurist had to race sitting parked outside the leader in his semi-final and showed great courage to stall off Official Art ($3.90) by a metre with Regal Major ($48.80) 14-1/2 metres away third.
The Big Show ($3.80) took the early lead from gate two and Futurist, which came from three, had a dip for the lead but couldn’t cross so Billinger sat outside the lead and made sure the tempo was on with 30.7 and 30.7 for the first two quarters before increasing the tempo coming home 29.2 and 29.0 for a 1:58.7 mile rate.
“He’s not the type of horse who can run a 27.0 or better quarter but he can peel of 28.0 quarters all day,” Billinger said.
“I’ve always had an opinion of the horse and he is improving with racing and with a bit of luck in the draw I’m sure he can be thereabouts at the finish.
“I thought the runner-up had me on the home turn when he came alongside after a soft run but my horse wouldn’t give up and kept finding.”
Jon Kingston-Mayne, trainer of Official Art, was delighted with the horse’s second.
“He missed a few days of work with a slight bug so tonight’s run should have him spot on for the final,” Kingston-Mayne said.
Both Futurist and Official Art are worthy finalists and with luck in running should prove excellent chances.
The second semi-final was expected to see Rap Artist ($1.10 fav) lead throughout as he came from gate one with the scratchings of the two horses drawn inside him, and so it proved, but not before some excitement in the home straight.
Trainer-driver Mark Billinger, once in front, recorded first two quarters of 30.5 before stepping up to 29.0 then coming home in 28.4 which was always going to be enough to win.
But the Barry Finnis-trained and Jayson Finnis-driven Jumping Jolt ($9.70) is also a quality three-year-old, and coming from gate eight, had the sit right behind the favourite and once the sprint lane appeared, dashed through on the inside of the favourite.
Jumping Jolt dashed through and Billinger had to really the shake the reins bat the favourite.
On the line, Rap Artist had a head to spare from Jumping Jolt in an exciting finish with Fragility ($103.30) 8-1/2 metres away third.
“I always knew Jumping Jolt could make a race if it with my bloke,” Billinger said.
“Because he was on my back he was always going to make a dive up the sprint lane.
“Rap Artist can be a bit lazy and he thought the race was over when the horse outside him (Dontsayawordmajor) dropped off getting around the home turn.
“I had to start shaking him up and even though Jumping Jolt came quick I was confident my bloke would keep going.”
While Rap Artist will still be the one to beat in this week’s final, Jumping Jolt proved he is more than capable of measuring up with the right run.
