By Mac Henry
The $45,000 group twos will be the centrepiece of Diamonds Day at Invercargill on 17 April with Classie Brigade and Alpha Rock aiming for the Supremacy; Nek Time and RR Sand Dollar for the Oaks. Both mobile-start features will be run over 2700 metres this year.
Nek Time’s win at Winton was over a mile in 1:56.3 while the other three ran 2400 metres; Classie Brigade in 2:57.1, Alpha Rock in 2:58.4 and RR Sand Dollar in 3:00.6.
Qualification requires a horse to start in at least two races on Southland or Central Otago tracks as a three year old. RR Sand Dollar has now fulfilled that criteria whie the others were running in the south for the first time.
However, Nek Time is owned in the south by Robert and Sharyn Symon of Waianiwa. Trained by Terry and Glynis Chmiel and driven by Terry, she went from the outside of the front line but it proved no barrier to her. Earlier in her career, Nek Time finished fourth in the two year old Diamonds at the Jewels while a fortnight ago she fought off RR Sand Dollar to win the $40,000 PGG Wrightson Harness 5000 at Addington.
Since Addington, RR Sand Dollar has been a winner at both Wyndham, in 2:57.8, and Winton. The Paul Court-trained filly was driven in both wins by Blair Orange and was his third winner at Winton. His first was Kate Jackson, trained by Kirstin Barclay for Grant Pascoe of Invercargill and his second, the three year old gelding Just Say Go. Also trained by Barclay, Just Say Go is raced by Tom Kilkelly.
Classie Brigade would be an early favourite for the Supremacy on the back of his win and previous record. The colt finished third to Lazarus and Chase the Dream in the Sires Stakes Final and third to Lazarus and Shandale in the Alabar Classic at Alexandra Park and his record there might have been even better but for an incident at the first bend causing him to break in the Yearling Sales Series Final.
He is trained by Nigel McGrath and driven by Ricky May and the Winton win was his third in end.
Alpha Rock, out of the big winner Sparks A Flyin so a half brother to numerous other big winners, returned to the winner’s list himself on Saturday. The Cran Dalgety-trained gelding had been there three times before and but for a second to Callenberg on the grass at Methven last week, after racing without cover for the last lap, would now be boasting a perfect five from five.
He was driven by Dexter Dunn, his fourth winner for the day. Dunn’s early success had been on the Tony Stratford-trained Flashing On, Leah Mac prepared by Wayne McEwan and Millwood Daisy, a stablemate of Alpha Rock. Bred by Katie Carville and a $100,000 puchase at the 2015 Premier sale, Millwood Daisy battled significant windy conditons to win the Murray Gray Memorial Two Year Old Fillies Mobile Mile in 1:59.6.
Invercargill-based Josh Kennett got his second driving win of his short career when Veneto won the maiden trot. Along with his father Craig he also trains Veneto giving the pair a double for the weekend following Valmagne’s win in Auckland on Friday night.
Veneto, a half-brother to the durable pacer Valhalla, was having his fifth start as a trotter. As a three year old he raced seven times as a pacer for a win at Motukarara in April last year. Kennett’s first win as a driver had been on stablemate One Over Dover at Timaru in August.
Brad Williamson was only other winning driver, taking out the other trot on Springbank Eden, trained by his father Phil for Alistair and Denise Smith.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
