Ark Sea’s ominous warning for NSW Oaks rivals

New South Wales leading two year old of last season Ark Sea (Stay Hungry) showed she is back in style with a devastating harness racing win in the Success Stud New South Wales Oaks at Menangle on Saturday evening.

Ark Sea swept all before her last season before an unfortunate disqualification in the New South Wales Breeders Challenge Final last October.

However Sam Hewitt has been patient with the Ark Sea producing her at Menangle in an open race ten days ago where she scored an effortless win.

ARK SEA APR 25 REPLAY

Back against her age and sex, Ark Sea was drawn on the outside the front row. Queensland filly Havtimetodream was backed into favouritism given her previous outstanding form shown. However at the start she didn’t show a great deal of speed.

Ark Sea was inclined to race a little ungenerously as she was beaten for early speed by Beachbabe Crocker and Where’s My Reason. Will Rixon on Ark Sea steadied his filly around the first corner to eventually take up the running.

But the action continued when Pete McMullen made his move on Havtimetodream. It was then that Rixon made the decision to take a trail with Ark Sea and that might have been a risk in such a short race.

But Rixon obviously knew what he was doing as Havtimetodream rolled off the fence on straightening and Ark Sea in an explosive burst put paid to her rivals to come away to record a ten metre win over Beachbabe Crocker who finished well while Keayang Passion out wide who had come from the rear of the field flashed home for third.

Ark Sea’s time of 1.52.7 was the slowest of the three heats but the manner of her win would suggest that she is going to take a power of beating in next week’s Final whether she leads or not.

Driver Will Rixon was clearly a happy man after the race.

She ran to the line full of running. We thought we’d just look after her and being second up and obviously we have a big race coming up next week. So that was the main aim. We took the trail behind Pete (McMullen). We had no momentum going into the home straight. Still to win by that margin she’s just a ripper. I couldn’t wait for Gunna Reload and Ark Sea to come back racing this year. They’re such classy horses that have been so good to me. So hopefully they can draw well next week and we can be thereabouts.

Havtimetodream weakened notably to finish a distant last and clearly not all was right with her. A vet’s examination after the event revealed a condition and she has been stood down for 28 days.

By Tony Milanese for Harnesslink