No luck for NSW battler

The old adage ‘it’s never over until the fat lady sings’ couldn’t have applied more than in Saturday night’s QBred Breeders Classic for Colts and Geldings at the harness racing meeting at Albion Park – luck just didn't go the way of New South Wales battler Daniel Rowell.

Rowell was shooting for his biggest pay day and his most important race success driving Roarn, the $7.20 second favourite in the Group 2 Final and looked assured of success when he popped off the back of the $1.50 favourite Catcha Lefty ,driven by Shane Graham, and motored along the passing lane.

With the winning post in his sights Roarn surged to a narrow lead over Catcha Lefty but just as he got there his run was halted as quickly as it started.

Rowell felt the jolt as the right wheel on his sulky locked tight with the left wheel of Graham’s and the two carts went across the line in a tangle, Rowell’s right wheel a good 30cm up in the air.

The mishap meant Catcha Lefty was able to hold the lead and win the $50,000 Final by a head with Rowell left lamenting what could have been.

“You know it’s never ever over until that fat lady sings, don’t you,” quipped the 33yo trainer/driver from the Southern Highlands hamlet of Crookwell. “I was feeling pretty confident going into the sprint lane and just as I got him into top gear he wanted to duck out, it cost us big time.”

Rowell has been driving for about a decade and so far has driven 43 winners, six of those winners this season. “I only have two horses in work this one and another 2yo and I also have another job at the local Glenferrie Farm which keeps me busy, so the opportunities for me in big races are limited,” he said.

Rowell now plans to make amends in the Group 1 QBred Triad at Albion Park’s night of nights, 18 July.

“I have decided to stay on and go for the Triad, targeting a lead up race between now and then,” Rowell said.

The trainer is based for the remainder of the Queensland Winter Racing Carnival at Tweed Heads and has brought a travelling mate for the Queensland-bred Roarn (P B Pullville – Beckoning). “I have another 2yo here Boobalga Road, a Sportswriter gelding which qualified as an emergency for this week’s Group 1 NSW Breeders Challenge at Menangle,” Rowell said.

“He is NSW bred but I think I will find a nice race for him here (in Brisbane) now.”

The Queensland Winter Racing Carnival officially kicks off on Saturday 4 July with the running of the G1 $100,000 Garrards Sunshine Sprint with the unique G1 $100,000 Nursery Flying Stakes for 2 & 3yo pacers also on the same card.

David Aldred