Jason Lee salutes on Kinvara Sue after her Vicbred win.
Kinvara Sue and Wobelee left little doubt as to who are the premier Vicbred trotters in their categories with scintillating Group 1 wins.
On the night that Gavin Lang reached 5999 career wins when saluting on Aldebaran Eve and Deltasun, it was the two-year-old colts and geldings (Wobelee) and three-year-old fillies (Kinvara Sue) races that produced the most jaw-dropping performances of the Empire Stallions Vicbred Super Series trotting finals.
“He just likes to race,” Chris Alford said of Wobelee, who is trained by Alison Alford. “He just got better and better each time he goes out. He just wants to get out there and go. He knocked off when he got a long way in front tonight.”
As has been his custom, Wobelee found the front with ease from his gate five draw and from there it was lights out, winning by 18.2m from Fend Off with Smashthemcalder a further 8m back in third.
Kinvara Sue was just as impressive in the three-year-old trotting fillies, overcoming her Victoria Trotters Oaks disappointment when she led, sustained pressure, overraced and dropped out. Tonight she led, sustained pressure and then put her rivals to the sword.
A triumphant Jason Lee salute with 50m to go reinforced what this win meant to the driver, the trainer (Anton Golino) and the owner (Pat Driscoll).
“Any win is awesome but when they’ve got Group 1 written behind them that was pretty special,” Lee said. “To win my first Group 1 trotters race for Anton and Pat is just awesome.”
The stable had a super night with Nieta winning the three-year-old silver trot in addition to Aldebaran Eve’s four-year-old trotting mares Group 1 win, a second Group 1 victory for the Skyvalley trotter having saluted in last year’s Vicbred three-year-old final.
That winning feeling was also savoured by Neville Pangrazio, trainer of Moonshine Linda who he also owns and bred with Michael Pangrazio. The two-year-old trotting filly won her Group 1 with a 1.8m salute ahead of Allthemoves.
It was a night for the trainer-owner-breeder, with Terry Young’s ripping Tennotrump gelding Deltasun storming home to win the three-year-old boys Group 1 for owner-breeder Alison Young.
Brent Lilley and Anthony Butt teamed up to add another Group 1 notch to their belts, this time with Enrolled in the four-year-old entires and geldings final.
“He’s got a bit of ability there, it’s just a matter of doing things right. That’s half the battle,” Butt said. “I got a lovely run through early. He relaxed after the first half a mile. They kept the pace on and it worked out good for him.”
Sparkling Success (TAB.com.au Trot) and Maorisfavouritesun (Noopy Kiosk Trotters Free For All) also reaffirmed their status at the pointy end of metropolitan racing with impressive victories, while it was also a night that highlighted the trotting gait’s diversity, with the 10 winners coming from 10 different stallions.
Media enquiries:
Michael Howard (HRV Media/Communications Co-Ordinator)
t: 03 8378 0286 | e: mhoward@hrv.org.au | tw: @MichaelRHoward
