Sundons Courage with Ashley Matthews and connections after winning Vicbred final.
A talented colt who has drawn well in Sunday’s feature could deliver a local a crowning moment on his home track.
Havelock resident Ashley Matthews will take the reins of Sundons Courage, the Chris Angove-trained three-year-old who delivered Matthews his first Group 1 victory as a driver.
The combination could produce a second when they line up for the Seelite Windows & Doors Victoria Trotters Derby, the $75,575 showcase on the Redwood All Trotting Carnival at Maryborough.
“It’s a great day. They always seem to get a good crowd,” Matthews said. “A lot of the locals support it and people from interstate come down for their one big day of the year. To be on my home track and with a quality horse, it would be great to win a race like that.”
Drawn barrier one Sundons Courage is every chance amid an exceptional field, which includes four-time Group 1 winner High Gait and New Zealand raider Wilmas Mate. And then there’s Cranbourne trotter Cruisin Around, who has enjoyed outstanding duels with Sundons Courage, with Matthews steering the latter to victory in the two-year-old Vicbred Super Series only to have Cruisin Around pip him by a neck in last month’s three-year-old final.
It was the 2015 Vicbred triumph that will forever form a tight bond between Matthews and the Sundon colt.
“It was great. That was my first Group 1. It’s what every driver aims for,” Matthews said. “He just seems to do it so easy. He just floats along and is a lovely horse to drive.”
It’s almost a year since the Havelock trainer-driver has taken the reins of Sundons Courage, with Chris Alford, who will steer High Gait, and the three-year-old’s owner, Brad Angove, sitting in the sulky since.
Matthews is only too happy to step back in.
“It’s great to get in a race like that, which is a very strong race and a lot of good horses in it,” he said.
“He has a nice draw and we should be able to use barrier one. As a two-year-old he didn’t race really good out of the gates, but is now in the open bridle and it seems he has more gate speed.
“He could be leader or find leader’s back. High Gait (gate three) is pretty quick as is War Dan Destroyer (gate two), we will just see how it goes.”
Matthews will also have a hand in four other starters on the day, driving Acorn Ace in the Alf Simons Memorial Trot, Truscott Hall in the Group 1 Seelite Windows and Doors Redwood Classic and in the John Slack Memorial Trotters Handicap he will drive Soaked, who he also trains.
“Soaked is a nice, honest horse, he is always thereabouts and never too far away. “
Media enquiries:
Michael Howard (HRV Media/Communications Co-Ordinator)
t: 03 8378 0286 | e: mhoward@hrv.org.au | tw: @MichaelRHoward
