First Group One is ‘oh so sweet’

New South Wales harness racing mates John Boserio and Dean Cernovskis went searching for gold at Albion Park on Saturday night and got it with an upset win in the $104,000 Two-Year-Old feature event.

Cernovskis drove a superb race for popular trainer Boserio on bay gelding He's Sweet (He's Watching-Our Sweet Melody (Art Major) to get home by a neck in the AP Gold-Brisbane APG Sales Graduate Final.

To watch the race click here

The win was the highlight so far of this year's annual northern pilgrimage to the Gold Coast, providing Cernovskis with his first ever Group One success as a driver, while it was Boserio's first as a trainer (although he did own G1-winner, Four Trumps).

"John has been getting heaps of ribbing down at the stables because prior to this he hadn't trained a winner this Queensland trip-but I guess he's now trumped us all!" Cernovskis said.

"He's had a couple of chances to break through and hasn't quite made it, but all he needed was the big stage – he's got the bragging rights well and truly!"

Victorious visiting driver Dean Cernovskis gives a jubilant wave as he crosses the line with He’s Sweet, narrowly holding off race favorite Jasper (Grant Dixon) (Dan Costello Photography)

Bathurst-based Boserio, who has headed north each winter with a small team since 1983, said the latest victory was "by far his biggest".

He is based temporarily near Coolangatta with a group of other New South Welshman who also make the trip each year – Chris and Anthony Frisby, also of Bathurst; Cernovskis, who is based at Gunning, between Goulburn and Yass; and Scott Hewitt, of Crookwell, half an hour from Goulburn.

Cernovskis, who has been making the trip now for six years, said he was so grateful to land the winning drive.

"There were plenty of other good drivers in the stands, but they stuck with me which was nice. It's an unbelievable series. 45 horses get a crack at it-everyone has a chance of living the dream and winning," he said.

After settling three back the pegs, Cernovskis always appeared to have He's Sweet travelling nicely-it was just a matter of getting clear at the right time. And that came when the leader Our Ultimate Bonny run up the track with 450metres from home.

Boserio was full of praise for Cernovskis, admitting that it wasn't his idea to stick to the pegs.

"Dean told me before the race he thought staying on the fence was probably the best plan. And it all unfolded brilliantly for him, especially when the heavens opened up. So he definitely pulled the right rein there," Boserio said.

The Jack Butler-trained Lillies, who was on the leader's back, took the gap and He's Sweet followed through before switching out into the clear and holding on gallantly from the well-tried Grant Dixon pair Jasper ($1.95 fav) and Chamonix ($5.50).

Boserio, a former publican, races He's Sweet with keen Bathurst owner Ken Plunkett and Craig Lusby, of Casino, who is also a hotelier.

"Craig was in charge of bidding for the horse at the sales. I told him to go to $15,000 and stop, but he didn't listen and kept putting his hand up. He ended up getting it for $35,000 – thank goodness he did keep going," Boserio said.

"I picked the horse out because I'd had one out of the family years ago and it went really well."

Boserio headed north nearly two months ago but has been hanging out for some good fortune.

Holy Camp Dillon, who provided Boserio with his 150th win back home in early June, went amiss early in the Qld campaign, while another two-year-old, The Grogfather, went sour and was sent to the spelling paddock.

That's virtually left him with a two-pronged attack in He's Sweet and the stablemate Happy Publicans.

"We've got 'Happy' racing Tuesday and he does go okay, so he could run a bit of a race," Boserio said.

"We were planning to give He's Sweet a spell, but there's a suitable race for him next Saturday so he can go around again.

"Our accommodation is all fixed up until the first week in September, but after winning the 2yo feature we can afford to stay a little longer," he laughed.

Terry Gange

NewsAlert PR Mildura