Kiwi imports give the master trainer a big hand

Andy Gath’s affinity with New Zealand harness racing stock is understandable as heads to Melton on Saturday night (Apr. 1) with three strong winning chances from across the Tasman.

The first of the trio, Just Rollyourown (Rock N Roll Heaven), makes his Australian debut in the Hyland Racing Colours Pace, and Gath admits he is pleased to finally have the son of Rock N Roll Heaven at his Long Forest stables.

“I have had my eye on him for a while, but he hasn’t been on the market until now,” Gath said.

Gath said he would be an interested onlooker when the mobile releases the field with Just Rollyourown coming out of gate four.

“They haven’t used him out of the gate in New Zealand so we can’t get a gauge on how much early speed he possesses,” he said.

“He has been racing against nice horses at Addington so he looks as if he is a decent horse.”

Gath is hoping Just Rollyourown can emulate the deeds of stablemate Magnetic Terror, who scored an impressive death seat win on his Australian debut at Melton last Saturday night.

“Magnetic Terror has speed and a bit of depth, he is a horse who should get up high in the ratings and I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t get to free for all class,” he said.

Outlaw Man (Sweet Lou), who has been a revelation since joining the Gath stable in October, has drawn to make amends for his last-start narrow defeat behind Group 1 winner Better Eclipse in the City Of Melton Plate.

The five-year-old has drawn the pole in the IRT Pace and whatever beats him should win.

“This horse has surprised us all since coming over from New Zealand,” he said.

“None of us thought he would get to this level so quickly and funnily enough his past two defeats have probably been his best two runs for us.”

Albert Cefai will be looking to break a lengthy Saturday night metropolitan race win drought with his in-form trotter Fling It Rainbow in the Colin Redwood Memorial VSTA Trotters Handicap Final.

The 62-year-old Cefai’s previous metropolitan winner was Buffalo Bill at Moonee Valley in 1995.

Fling It Rainbow cruised to victory in his heat at Ballarat after enjoying a cosy sit behind the leader and the seven-year-old has now won two of his past three starts with James Herbertson in the sulky.

“He takes a while to come up and the more he races the better he goes,” Cefai said.

“I take him to the beach and only jog him at home, he doesn’t do any fast work and the racing keeps him fit.”

Fling It Rainbow will start off a 10 metre handicap, and with only four horses off the front Cefai expects him to settle close to the lead.

“He is a terrific standing start horse, and he will be up there early and hopefully he gets a nice sit behind the leaders,” he said.

For complete race entries, click here.

by John Dunne, for Harness Racing Victoria