Group 1 hat-trick for Kate

She had won more than 1800 races in her career and 40 Group 1 winners – that was until driver Kate Gath arrived at harness racing’s Tabcorp Park Melton on Saturday night.

Despite all the success the 38-year-old had never won a two-year-old Breeders Crown Final.

Once again, that was before Saturday night where Gath claimed three!

“You’re only as good as the horses you drive,” said Gath.

“I’ve been really lucky and fortunate in my career.”

Gath’s wave of success started with Just A Bit Touchy (Father Patrick) in the two-year-old trotting fillies Breeders Crown Final.

She then won the two-year-old colts and geldings Breeders Crown Final with Catch A Wave (Captaintreacherous) and completed the hat-trick with Encipher in the two-year-old fillies Breeders Crown Final.

Encipher, a daughter of Captaintreacherous, claimed the $300,000 Group 1 at just her sixth race start and clocked 1:56.0 for the 2240m feature.

After starting from inside the second row, there was some weaving magic produced by Gath to get the rewarding victory over the Nathan Purdon-trained Amore Vita and stablemate Sounds Perfect.

“I love her, she’s had the toughest racing,” said Gath.

“Full credit to her, I just love her to bits, she’s so tough, imagine what she could do with a good barrier?

“Shout out to the owners, they have been in the game for a long time, they own them, they breed them too.”

Encipher was bred and is raced by Tyson Linke and is out of the Falcon Seelster mare Our Cavort.

The filly is trained by Emma Stewart who had nine of the 12 horses in the field.

Watch Encipher’s win below:

View the Melton results click here!

By Amanda Rando for Harnesslink