First Group 1 win a long time coming

Donny and Maureen Smith are still floating on cloud nine after winning their first Group One race on Saturday night at the harness racing meeting at Albion Park and the Knight Street couple reckons they are in with a good chance to make it a Group race double in the local Redcliffe Derby on Friday night.

 

Maureen and Meranda Smith race Saturday night’s G1 hero A Good Chance and Maureen’s husband Donny is the exciting young pacer’s trainer.

 

“We were always a nose away from a Group One until Saturday night so I guess the pressure is off in that respect and another big race win, especially a local Derby, would be very nice,” Maureen said.

 

A Good Chance will line up from gate six in the $30,000 G3 Redcliffe Derby at the Redcliffe Paceway and with the draw going against him he has been displaced from favouritism by the New South Wales visitor Aztec Bromac, which has drawn gate one.

 

No question, A Good Chance is Donny’s favourite horse.

 

He drove him at every start as a 2yo, and his efforts were rewarded when the gelding was named the Racing Queensland 2yo of the year. Saturday night’s win in the $100,000 Group One Triad Final etched the ‘favourite’ moniker in stone forever.

 

A Good Chance went hard for the lead and driven out by Chris Petroff, who has driven last season star Queensland juvenile at every race start this season, the tough as teak pacer held on to win by a half neck.

 

Maureen acknowledged that the Derby won’t be an easy get for A Good Chance. “The horse coming up from down south, Aztec Bromac is pretty smart so it won’t be easy,” Maureen said.

 

“He might have to work for it again but he is a horse that does it tough, he is not brilliant but he breaks their hearts,” Maureen said. “He can’t pick up and sprint so he sets the tempo and sometimes that means he has to sit in the ‘death’ and work – most can’t keep up with him because he just keeps going.”

 

KerryAnn Turner’s Victoria Derby Heat winner Aztec Bromac was freshened up before finishing second to the smart mare Luda over a mile in sizzling 1.52.5 at Menangle last week.

 

Robbie Morris who drove Aztec Bromac last week will again be at reins in the Redcliffe Derby.

 

Meanwhile with Pete McMullen committed to driving the well performed filly Covert Beauty, Gary Whittaker is likely to be called up to take the drive on developing filly Aussie Vista in the feature $80,000 G2 Final of the Garrards Redcliffe Yearling Sales Series.

 

Gatton trainer Shane Sanderson said he went into the Series thinking he had some sort of a chance with Aussie Vista and the filly’s heat win last week and an ideal barrier draw has him a little bit more excited about springing a surprise in the final.

 

“She certainly isn’t any star but she is developing well and has got a great attitude, she’s improving all the time,” Sanderson said. “She’s also a real trier, she might have been a slow starter but she has developed speed now and she just always tries so hard whether it is on the training track or in a race.

 

On Friday night Aussie Vista is out to go one better than her half-brother Falcon Vista which ran  a close second in 2012 Redcliffe Yearling Sales Final  to Couldnresist.

 

A daughter of five times G1 winner Tintin In America and non-winner Terranora Vista, Aussie Vista has raced seven times for a win and two minor placings.

 

From her ideal draw Whittaker will have the chance to put her right in the race from the outset while the other two top fillies, three times winner Covert Beauty (Pete McMullen) and Charlyse (Darren Weekes) , a winner at her only start will both start off the back row.

 

“That pair looked the most impressive last week so it’s good to have a little bit of an advantage on them with the draw,” Sanderson said. “I’m also happy with the way my filly has trained on during the week.”