The performance of Sundons Gift in The George Gath at Moonee Valley last night does not augur well for connections of horses hoping for victory at next month’s summer trotting carnival.
The Chris Lang-trained star turned in possibly the best run of his career to take out the $20,000 Group 3 event and confirm he is on target for the Bill Collins Trotters Mile and the Australian Trotting Grand Prix.
Lang said it was a relief to see the six-year-old return to winning form after running third, after galloping with victory in sight, in the Kilmore Trotters Cup two weeks ago.
“I have been building towards these races in December with him for a long time now, but if he hadn’t have shown he was a good horse last night I would have been starting to worry,” Lang said.
“With the recent racing and the fact that I think he’s starting to reach race fitness, I felt he was ready to step up last night and if he hadn’t have stepped up last night I would have been concerned.
“But in my opinion he came through with flying colours.”
Few would argue with Lang’s opinion. Despite a 30-metre handicap, a few rough strides early and sitting three deep without cover for much of the 2575m event, Sundons Gift still proved too classy for his rivals.
“We timed him off the dvd to run his last mile in two minutes and his last half, three and four deep, in under 58 seconds,” Lang said.
“He hit the line strongly and, all in all, he went exceptionally well.”
The $2.80 favourite defeated stablemate Flying Hardwick ($16) by a metre-and-a-half with $9 chance Solar Active a further three-quarters of a metre back in third spot after looking the winner upon straightening for home.
Lang said Sundons Gift won’t be seen at the races again until the Cranbourne Trotters Cup on December 1, which will be the gelding’s final hit out ahead of the $100,000 Australian Trotting Grand Prix on December 8 and the $50,000 Bill Collins Trotters Mile on December 15.
The other feature on last night’s program, The Blossom Lady, saw the Peter Manning-trained Apennyspent stretch her winning sequence to four in the $20,000 event.
Not even losing a shoe prevented the five-year-old from saluting in the 2100m race for mares, gun driver Chris Alford overcoming an inside back row draw to steer the $3.50 favourite to victory over Graeme Lang-trained stablemates Innocent Eyes ($6) and Deanna Troy ($4).
