Favourites sweep all 10 races on Menangle’s Halloween card

Backing the favourite was the only bet that mattered at Menangle on Saturday night. From Palladium NZ (Bettors Delight – Platinum) in the opening race to Cormoran Strike NZ (Creatine – Fancy Pants) in the last, every one of the 10 favourites on the NSW Breeders Challenge finals card won.

The clean sweep took in all six Nutrien Equine NSW Breeders Challenge finals, four at Group 1 level and two at Group 3, plus the four supporting races. Every race was run with 10 starters. Favourites typically win somewhere between a quarter and a third of races, so seeing an entire 10-race program fall their way is a rare result. That it happened on Halloween only added to the spooky feel of the night.

The first eight races all went to odds-on favourites. Don Hunter was the shortest priced winner at $1.25, just ahead of Loucasso and Swayzee, who both started at $1.28. Van Basten was the longest priced winner of the night at $2.50.

Two of the three runners confirmed so far for the $1.5 million TAB Eureka at Menangle on November 21 were among the winners.

Loucasso, the runner for the slot holder (Rampant Standardbreds), won the Group 1 three-year-old colts and geldings final by 4.8 metres from Alert Bay in a 1:48.7 mile rate. Trainer-driver Seaton Grima sent him forward before halfway and he led from there to the finish. HarnessLink reported it was Grima’s first Group 1 win.

Double Lou, who races for the slot holder (The Don), led to win the Group 3 four-year-old entires and geldings final by 6.1 metres from Forever Onthe Punt for trainer-driver Bailey McDonough. His 1:48.0 mile rate was the fastest of the night.

Swayzee was just as dominant in the Club Menangle Battle Of Beersheba FFA (Listed Classic) over 2300m. Driven by Cameron Hart for trainer Jason Grimson, he led and cleared out to beat Saint Crusader by 17.4 metres in a 1:52.3 mile rate. The run was his final lead-up to the New Zealand Trotting Cup at Addington on Tuesday, November 10, where he is chasing a third win in the race.

In the two-year-old finals, Don Hunter gave Luke McCarthy another Group 1, beating Disturbance by 5.3 metres in 1:51.1. McCarthy said a few of the colt’s owners were new to harness racing.

“They’ve only had thoroughbreds so they’ve kicked it off with a good one,” McCarthy said.

Comeandsee, trained by Emma Stewart and driven by Mark Pitt, led throughout to take the fillies’ final by 3.5 metres from Frith In Flight in 1:51.7

Will Rixon drove a double. He won the four-year-old mares’ final by 11.2 metres on Gunna Reload for his father Peter, then took the three-year-old fillies’ final on Ark Sea for Sam Hewitt, beating Queensland filly Stripes by 4.3 metres in 1:50.3.

Brad Hewitt trained and drove both Palladium NZ and Cormoran Strike NZ, while Grima added a second winner in the HRNSW Rising Stars when Van Basten held off Rocknroll Cowboy by 1.6 metres for trainer Ian Wilson.

Saturday’s results (TAB starting price)
Race 1, Bestinbeds.com.au Pace: Palladium NZ, $1.45
Race 2, NSW Breeders Challenge 4YO Entires and Geldings Final (Group 3): Double Lou, $1.80
Race 3, NSW Breeders Challenge 4YO Mares Final (Group 3): Gunna Reload, $1.55
Race 4, Club Menangle Battle Of Beersheba FFA (Listed Classic): Swayzee, $1.28
Race 5, NSW Breeders Challenge 3YO Fillies Final (Group 1): Ark Sea, $1.50
Race 6, NSW Breeders Challenge 3YO Colts and Geldings Final (Group 1): Loucasso, $1.28
Race 7, NSW Breeders Challenge 2YO Fillies Final (Group 1): Comeandsee, $1.35
Race 8, NSW Breeders Challenge 2YO Colts and Geldings Final (Group 1): Don Hunter, $1.25
Race 9, HRNSW Rising Stars (Penalty Exempt Event): Van Basten, $2.50
Race 10, Club Menangle Tony and Jill McGrath Trotters Mobile (Listed Classic): Cormoran Strike NZ, $2.00

Loucasso was bred by Mathew Day and is raced by a group including ABR Bloodstock and Summit Bloodstock. He has now won 12 of his 14 starts. Double Lou, also by Sweet Lou, was bred and is owned by Johnny Star Racing and has won 13 of his 24 starts.

 

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From Harnesslink Media