Bonavista Bay claims the Melton Plate
The good judges think Bonavista Bay has the ability to end up an Australian harness racing great and the untapped entire joined a number of them with his dominant win in Friday night’s 21st Shire Of Melton Plate at Tabcorp Park.
The Emma Stewart-trained gun put his name alongside champions including Franco Tiger, Shakamaker, Sokyola and Melpark Major on the four and five-year-old feature honour roll when he claimed the $50,000 Group 2 event.
He cruised to a 1:56.3 win in the 2240-metre event, which was just 0.1secs outside the track record Tintin In America set when he run down Bonavista Bay in a memorable Breeders Crown Final on August 23.
Winning reinsman Chris Alford said it was a brilliant display by the son of Rustler Hanover, who was first-up since that herculean Breeders Crown placing.
“He’s a great horse and he just felt awesome down the back (straight) tonight,” Alford said.
“He hasn’t been overraced or anything like that and it’s all looking good for the future.”
Bonavista Bay joined former champion mare Tailamade Lombo as the only four-year-olds to have won the Melton Plate from the second line when he overcame gate 11 to score to the 12th win of 15-start career.
Alford gave his star 400m to find his feet early, but then worked his way around the field and found the spot outside leader Tsunami Lombo by the 1400m mark.
After covering the first half of the last mile in 60.5 seconds, Alford upped the ante heading out of the straight the final time and put paid to Tsunami Lombo after a 28.1-second third split.
The top reinsman was forced to go earlier than he wanted when Tsunami Lombo shifted away from the pegs at the 400m, presenting Make Mine Cullen with a dream run, but he still pulled out another 28.1-second section.
That carried the $1.60 favourite to a 6-3/4-metre win over Make Mine Cullen ($5.60) with the unlucky Lighting Two Up ($13), who had trouble finding a clear run rounding the home turn, 3-1/2m back in third spot.
“I was happy to sit in the `death’ but the leader rolled off the track down the back and the main danger (Make Mine Cullen) was coming through so I had to get to the front before I wanted to,” Alford said.
“The he knocked off when he got to the front, but then when I asked him to go again at the top of the straight he just ran away from them again.”
