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PREMIER horseman Grant Dixon appears to have a stranglehold on next week’s Australian Pacing Gold Final.
The futurity is for graduates of APG’s Brisbane Sale and culminates in a $100,000 Final at Albion Park next Saturday night.
Heats of the series were conducted at the same venue last night, with Dixon winning both qualifiers.
“It was a great result for the stable and our owners,” Dixon said. “I expected both to be hard to beat and have them come away with wins is terrific.”
Successful in the Group One Qbred Triad Final at her previous start, Jasper was a class above her rivals in the opening heat.
With Dixon holding the reins the daughter of Mach Three led throughout from barrier three to complete a nine-and-a-half metre win from Lillies, with Digby Dee five-and-a-half metres away third.
“She is a very nice filly which seems to be getting better with each run,” Dixon said. “I gave her a few days off after the Qbred so this will tighten her up for the Final.”
Rating 1:55.8 over 1660 metres, the two-year-old’s time was 1.6 seconds quicker than her stablemate Chamonix in the following heat.
Driven by Dixon’s wife Trista, Chamonix worked to the lead from barrier six before staving off a late challenge from Our Ultimate Bonny to score by a half-neck.
Wannago was nine metres away third.
By Hes Watching, the gelding has built a solid record of three wins and four placings from 10 starts.
“He went along quite well,” Dixon said. “He’s a very consistent type and should be right in the mix in the Final.”
