IMPRESSIVE: Mistercool Sea Eyre in an earlier Menangle win with Blake Fitzpatrick in the bike.
FEW can match trainer-driver Blake Fitzpatrick’s expertise with square-gaiters.
And the Cawdor reinsman’s talents handed him not only another feature but a quinella when his horses topped the table at today’s Campbell Advisory Jill McGrath Franco Australian Trotters Cup at Tabcorp Park Menangle.
Fitzpatrick only had two runners in the 2300m standing start Group Two and both trotted almost faultlessly to fight out the finish of the race.
The only problem was that Blake decided to drive Blazing Under Fire ($5.20) in the event while handing the drive on the stable’s other starter Mistercool Sea Eyre to in-form young reinsman Jack Trainor.
Fitzpatrick looked to have the race in keeping turning for home when he dashed Blazing Under Fire to a commanding lead after setting the pace for most of the race.
Unfortunately for Blake that made him a sitting shot for something else in the race and luckily it was the last-start Melton winner Mistercool Sea Eyre ($4.30 favourite) that emerged from the chasing pack to chase down the leader and emerge triumphant.
Iona Grinner Robert Morris came off 20m and trotted well to finish a handy third, coming from well back in the field.
Still there were hard-luck stories aplenty in the race with several runners galloping away and losing all chance, including Graeme Hartman’s in-form pair Later and Luvstuenthral who bombed their chances at the get go.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION TELEPHONE CLUB MENANGLE RACING MANAGER DAVID WONSON ON (02) 4645 2200
