Catch A Wave defies alarming betting drift

Catch A Wave (Captaintreacherous), Victoria’s top harness racing seed for next month’s $2.1m TAB Eureka, defied an alarming betting drift in taking out the My Lightning Blue Free For All at Melton tonight (Aug. 12). 

CATCH THAT?!
Andy and Kate Gath’s miracle horse Catch A Wave denies a huge drift to claim the City Of Melton My Lightning Blue FFA with a three-wide romp over a talented field, winning in a 1:51.8 mile rate.
Racing continues on https://t.co/p8Slwkw0sZ pic.twitter.com/Pxj1Z7XZ2Q

— The Trots (@TheTrotsComAu) August 12, 2023

The Andy Gath trained four-year-old, who eased out from $1.30 to $2.10, settled at the rear of the field before Kate Gath latched onto the back of Bettor Isolate with a lap to travel but was caught without cover for the last 800 metres. 

Catch A Wave travelled kindly before Gath released the reins at the 400 metre mark and managed to stave off a gallant second effort from the leader Bulletproof Boy in a mile rate of 1:51.8. 

Gath said the son of Captaintreacherous always had the race in his keeping. 

“It never felt like Bulletproof Boy was going to get me so it wasn’t as scary as his last run,” Gath said. 

“He is knocking off a bit more than I would like when he gets to the fron,t so we’ll have to work on that,” she said. 

Gath conceded the early genuine tempo assisted her winning chance. 

“Early in the race I thought that this is good and in the run I couldn’t complain although when Bettor Isolate got the death seat I was stuck out three wide on my own,” she said. 

“Catch A Wave was full of running and he felt terrific down the back straight and he wanted to go a little bit quicker so I just held him back and the leader was getting away a little bit and can run time, so I put it to him and we got the win. 

“It was a good hit out for him in solid time.” 

Gath said it was undecided whether Catch A Wave will have another run prior to the TAB Eureka on September 2. 

“We will see how he pulls up whether he runs next week or have a final run the following week,” she said. 

For complete race results, click here.

by John Dunne, for Harnesslink