Ubetcha Tigerpie denys Captains Knock $1 million bonus with last gasp win

Tough pacer Ubetcha Tigerpie (Betting Line) scored an upset harness racing win over Captains Knock In the Group 3 $60,000 TAB Renshaw Cup at Penrith on Friday evening and in doing so prevented the payment of the $1million bonus for the winner of all of the Country Cups.

Captains Knock had won the previous four cups and had already accumulated a bonus of $500,000 and was sent out a hot favourite to go all the way and add the Renshaw Cup to his current imposing record.

And it certainly looked that he would achieve this feat when driver Brad Hewitt sent him around the field after they had settled down to take up the running. Max Delight took off from the rear and Mick Stanley decided to follow on Ubetcha Tigerpie to eventually race outside Captains Knock.

UBETCHA TIGERPIE 20 MAR REPLAY

Hewitt tried to give Captains Knock as easy a run as possible and then in the final lap he started to put on the pressure with a 28.8 second quarter and a 27.9 third quarter. However Ubetcha Tigerpie stuck with him and drew level on the final bend. The crowd anticipated a close finish as Captains Knock’s supporters roared their support. Ubetcha Tigerpie edged clear half way down the straight but Captains Knock raised another effort but success eluded him as he went down by half a head with Max Delight again his doing his best work for another credible performance in finishing third. The winner rated 1.56.3 for the 2525 metre trip.

However nothing should be taken away from Ubetcha Tigerpie who had by far the harder run but still showed enough fortitude to edge to a narrow win. Trained by Mick Stanley who has made the move from Ballarat to Menangle, Ubetcha Tigerpie has worked his way through the classes but his Renshaw Cup success was his biggest win to date. The seven year old gelding has now won just under $268,000 and that was his 16^th win from 75 appearances.

Stanley also trained Blucolla Tigerpie the dam of Ubetcha Tigerpie and she won 19 races for over $212,000 in stake money.

Captains Knock was gallant in defeat and his performance was still full of merit as trainer Brad Hewitt has battled injuries to get him to the track. He’s certainly in the top group of the nation’s leading pacers and will be a force in any of the forthcoming features that Hewitt sets for him.

For complete Penrith race results, click here.

by Tony Milanese, for Harnesslink