Be Good Johnny has rewarded trainer-driver John McCarthy for his patience when problems as a youngster restricted it racing, by taking out the $150,000 inaugural Ariadne/Watpac Trans-Tasman Group 1 event on Saturday night at Albion Park over Sly Flyin NZ and Dinki Di.  

Having only its 28^th start for 21 wins, the now 6YO gelding by Fake Left USA from Fleetwood Mandy and raced by Mrs Narelle McCarthy then allowed Bathurst’s Dinki Di to take up the running, providing McCarthy with the run of the race on the leader’s back, before dashing it away to win clearly. 

The mile rate of 1:56.2 was a new class record for Brisbane over 2680m, which helped bring undone Flashing Red (three wide much of the race), with Double Identity and Rollon Bigred both always toiling back in the field. 

Dinki Di was responsible for a big effort, as it missed the start, and then made up ground stylishly to sweep around its rivals early to grab the lead. Sly Flyin NZ, placed in the Grand Final of the last Inter Dominion, made up plenty of ground along the inside rail to be second for trainer-driver Tony Herlihy. 

Despite being the ‘baby’ of the field in terms of experience, Be Good Johnny was always in the first two of betting following its slashing third to Slipnslide in the previous week’s Queensland Championship despite missing away badly that night. However, trainer-driver McCarthy went into the race believing his main danger was the stablemate, Cobbity Classic, being driven by his son Andrew. 

The step-up in distance was expected to play into the hands of ‘Cobbitty’, a winner on the Grand Circuit last season.  Cobbitty Classic failed to make the most of starting from gate 4, before moving forward to race in the ‘death’ when Flashing Red was also seeking that position.