Hatrick Melbourne Cup Evening Group 1 Racing

Just 0.01 of a second was the difference between the two heat winners for the $30,000 Accel Therapy Wanganui Distance final which will be contested over the 755m journey on Tuesday evening (race 3). The starter will release the canine stayers an hour and twenty-five minutes after the Melbourne Cup field jumped for their staying event at Flemington.

Pictured: Trainer Angela Turnwald with her Wanganui Distance winner Hot Platter (pic Ivan, Wanganui GRC)

Both of those heat winners were prepared in the Foxton based Angela Turnwald kennels with Hot Platter prevailing in 45.20 while Kamada Park obliged in 45.21s. And for good measure the kennel also provided the runner up behind Kamada Park with Opawa June finishing solidly for her second placing.

Kamada Park has come up trumps with the box draw as he’ll be sighted wearing the red racing vest. It’s a possie that he isn’t likely to object about as he displays a preference racing along the rail. It was a strong effort by him to win his heat as he had settled in the rear division. It was gritty staying performance when he outstayed his heat rivals.

On the other paw, Hot Platter settled handy to the pace in her heat where she stalked the pace-setting Don’t Knocka Gee. She assumed control of her rival during the run home which saw her securing her heat win by a comfortable 3.75 length margin. She will be sighted racing in the black vest in the decider.

Their kennel mate Opawa June hung around the midfield from where she extended stylishly when chasing home Kamada Park five lengths astern of him. It was her third attempt over this 755m trip and it was her third-second placing, with the other two coming in the heat and final of the Wanganui Stayers at Group 2 in August. She’ll race from the four trap here.

It was a massive effort that Grunty Mamma produced to claim the other heat second placing. She was giving away volumes of experience and class to her heat rivals for her trainers Sue and Cor Blackburn. She belied her lack of race experience when sighted chasing the pacemakers from where she extended strongly for her bold second placing behind Hot Platter. She then returned to the Manawatu Raceway on Monday where she finished resolutely for her C1 457m second. She will be loaded away into the three trap.

We all know the normal racing tactics that Lisa Cole prepared Don’t Knocka Gee will adopt – she uses a catch me if you can policy. She used that approach in her heat and yes she was caught winding up in third ultimately finishing six lengths astern of Hot Platter. She then backed up over 645m here on Friday where she copped an early whack. She was sighted doing her best at the business. She has been allocated the tricky five trap to hop away from here.

It came as a surprise to see Opawa Hilary being run down in her heat. Once this Dave and Jean Fahey trained girl finds the race lead in her staying assignments she generally comes out as the victor. The recent New Zealand rep in the Aussie Distance final led through the mid-stages in her heat, however she yielded late when finishing 5.75 lengths behind Kamada Park. She will be sighted in the green racing vest and it will be foolhardy to dismiss her winning claims in this event.

Goldstar Sydney was really gritty in the manner that she grounded out her 9.5 length heat fourth behind Kamada Park for her conditioners Steve and Bonnie Evans. She settled in the rear group from where she slowly, but steadily got pass enough of her rivals to ensure she snatched her position in this final field. She is likely to mind her own business after she exits from the eight trap,

Geez that was a phenomenal effort that Know Anxiety produced just to make the final cut for this event. The Gary Cleeve prepared stayer tailed of as a distant last in her heat aka like another stayer Swift Fantasy had done at this venue when she won the 2010 Wanganui Stayers final. Undeterred Know Anxiety mounted a sustained finish which saw her flying home for her 7.5 length fourth to Hot Platter. Don’t forget that she finished fourth in her Duke Of Edinburgh Silver Collar heat and she occupied the same placing in the rich final. She will be loaded into the two trap.

Accel Therapy Wanganui Distance contenders includes (from left): Trainer Angela Turnwald with other heat winner Kamada Park, while her partner Paul Freeman brought back runner up Opawa June (pic Ivan, Wanganui GRC); Opawa Hilary;  Don’t Knocka Gee

The first reserve is provided by northern trainer Shadae Hunt with Aleng. She whacked away from back in the field, mainly in a wide position, for her heat fifth placing behind Hot Platter.

The Fahey’s provide the second reserve Alotta Talk. Ummm what can you say about this bloke? Yes, he did get involved in a degree of jostling which eventually saw him finishing fifth in behind Kamada Park. He is big on ability as we saw recently when he led throughout to win the Kingston Cup over 732m. Opawa Hilary finished second to him, while Goldstar Sydney was third in that Group 2 event.

By Peter Fenemor