When the going gets tough, the tough get going and such was the case at Globe Derby Park on Saturday with exciting finishes to the two feature races.
Tweedledee, trained at Two Wells by Ryan Hryhorec and driven by champion reinsperson Danielle Hill, came from last to take out the $9999 2025 Fred Jones Trotters Cup (2645m) – and that was after a minor gallop at the start.
The $9999 2025 Ladbrokes Italian Cup (2230m) saw a win by Delightful Tammy, trained at Roseworthy by Toby Ryan, and driven by David Smith, after a thrilling two-horse ‘war’ over the last 800 metres.
Four heats of the inaugural Kevin & Kay Seymour SA Pot Of Gold were also decided ensuring a super competitive $25,000 final this Saturday night.
For Hryhorec, it was his second consecutive win in the highly respected Fred Jones Trotters Cup, a race introduced in 2011 and won by Herecomes The Cat, trained by Marcus Hearl, who was on course on Saturday to acknowledge this year’s winner.
Regal Attire came off as 30-metre handicap last year to score and this year Tweedledee gave away a 20-metre start and was still able to win.
The slight gallop at the start ended up proving beneficial to Tweedledee as Hill was able to get onto the back of co-backmarker Blue Coman with a lap to go and the grey gave her a great trail up to the leaders.
Coming off the back, Hill brought the nine-year-old five wide and Tweedledee ($3.20 fav) sprinted strongly to finish over the top of the leaders to win trotting away by three metres from My Used To Be ($5) with Blue Coman ($8), 1-1/2 metres away third.
Hryhorec said the winner had benefitted from a break at the end of last year.
“He came to me from Victoria in September and I gave him a run at Kapunda,” Hryhorec said.
“It was obvious he was in need of a break, and he went straight to the paddock for a freshen up and since he has come back he just keeps getting better.
“He has now had three starts back for three wins, but I must admit he did surprise me a bit tonight.
“I was driving Aldebaran Dexta in the race and had a quick look around with just over a lap to go and saw he was behind Blue Coman and didn’t think he would be able to get past him, but he won easily at the finish.”
Hryhorec said Regal Attire was ready to race again and would most likely run in a Trotters Handicap this Saturday.
Delightfull Tammy again proved her staying strength with victory in the Ladbrokes Italian Cup.
Trainer Toby Ryan, and wife Lisa, were in Darwin on Saturday to watch their son Wyatt play football so veteran reinsman David Smith picked up the drive.
Smith was well aware of Delightfull Tammy’s racing pattern and quickly had the five-year-old mare sitting outside the leader Bellezza Nera, which had been backed in from $2.05 to start the $1.40 favourite.
Smith slowly increased the pressure on the leader with a solid 29.8 second quarter from the 1200 to the 800, before really amping up down the back straight with a quick 27.7 second third quarter.
The two leaders drew clear from the rest of the field with Bellezza Nera holding the lead by a metre, but the winner kept coming.
A surprise drifter to $8.50, Delightfull Tammy eventually wore down Bellezza Nera to win by a half neck in a thrilling finish with Maharajah ($9.50), 17 metres away third.
Owners Terry, Adam and Ben Cormack were on course to accept the trophy as was the mare’s former trainer Greg Norman who has retired and moved back to South Australia as he battles serious health issues.
Port Pirie brothers Trent and Ryan Hoare targeted four of their team for the lucrative Kevin & Kay Seymour Pot Of Gold series which will culminate in a $25,000 final on Saturday at Globe Derby Park.
The victory of their pacer Major Icon in the opening heat should ensure a strong supporter base for this week’s final.
The Hoare brothers are having a crack in the world of harness racing and have added a number of first-time owners into Major Icon which has now won three races in a row for a perfect introduction into ownership.
The newbies into the ownership include Dylan Sharp, Josh Hanslow, Josh Mundy, Nathaniel Noonan and Jake Mohi along with the Lead Pencils Syndicate managed by Jarrod White and including Brodie Jarmyn, Jordan Fuller, Marco Caputo, Lachlan White and Samuel Spadavecchiah.
It was not a straight forward win for Major Icon in heat one.
Reinsman Jason Kittel led early on the five-year-old but then opted to hand up when a strong challenge came from Winston Alexander.
Coming off the back straight in the final lap, the leader started to drift up the track and Kittel seized the opportunity to drive Major Icon through to regain the lead.
Major Icon ($6) dashed clear to win by three metres from Buzz Bomb ($8.50) with Boulder City ($3.60), a long head away third and Winston Alexander a metre back in fourth spot.
Todd Mumford, driver of Winston Alexander, lodged a protest with stewards believing Kittel may have created a space where there had not been enough room but after a hearing it was dismissed.
One of the Hoare’s other runners Lincs Poor Boy (($9) finished third in heat two of the Pot Of Gold.
John Vincent ($3 eq fav), trained and driven by Ryan Hryhorec, led throughout for a 2-1/2 metre win from Jensville ($6 into $3 eq fav) with Lincs Poor Boy, six metres away third.
Offyarocker Crocker ($1.65 fav), trained and driven by Samantha Hill, put in a tough performance to take out heat three by a half neck from Always Steamed Up ($4.80) with Big Black Betty ($8.50), two metres away third.
A major upset in the fourth Pot Of Gold heat with the near unbackable favourite Magic Storm ($1.12) leading but being run down by Euro Beat.
Trained at Angle Vale by Dean Girardi, and driven by Bernadette Page, Euro Beat ($11) produced a brilliant sprint to win by four metres from Magic Storm with Heston Blue Streak ($15), 1-1/2 metres away third.
