Staroftheshow upsets in $100,000 Gold Bullion final

Bold investment received big rewards as the Staroftheshow (Vincent) lived up to his name, breaking his maiden status with a rich harness racing victory at Melton tonight (May 6).

Amid threatening rain the APG Gold Bullion finals headlined a great card of racing, with Sahara Breeze (Captaintreacherous) taking out the $100,000 three-year-old fillies final and mare Petillante the four-year-old showdown, while the three-year-old boys title also produced some very happy owners.

With talented former Victorian horseman Nathan Purdon, Steven Tsalikidis and Daniel Girardi’s Greengate Investments put their paddle up for lot number 299 at the 2021 Melbourne Australian Pacing Gold sales.

He was the third last yearling sold and their patience paid off, with Staroftheshow rewarding their $58,000 investment with victory in tonight’s APG Gold Bullion final for three-year-old colts and geldings, a win that secured $57,000 for first place.

Racing for trainer Emma Stewart and driver Kate Gath, it was a win that few saw coming, due in large part to the Vincent colt’s tricky gate 11 draw, but as the adage goes it was only a bad draw on paper.

“It was a great thrill and the owners are here, so that’s what it’s about,” Gath told TrotsVision after winning by 1.7 metres on the $31 shot.

Gath eased back to last while Roryville and Will He Reign poured on the pace at the front of affairs, with a bristling first quarter prompting the leading reinswoman to transition from Plan A to B.

“I thought that we would be driving him for luck and then the 26.9 first quarter changed that – no point driving to the fence then,” she said.

“We don’t run races like this often in Victoria where the first quarter’s so quick, once that happens drawing 11’s pretty good, it’s nearly the place you want to be. That worked out well for us.”

When the leaders tired Mister Hunter picked up the running a long way from home, while Staroftheshow advanced three wide around Gawn, who loomed as a leading threat.

The chasing pair ran down Mister Hunter and it was Staroftheshow who boxed on the best, scoring by 1.7 metres from Gawn, who brought the top price at the 2021 sale.

“He just travelled so good the whole way,” Gath said of the winner. “I was wider than I wanted to be on the last corner because he was bolting and running out a bit and I couldn’t keep him down, it didn’t really matter because he was really good to the line.”

The victory was Staroftheshow’s first in his 12^th trip to the track, having previously registered three placings.

“He’s not much to look at,” Gath said. “He’s good gaited, doesn’t go rough, but he’s a bit awkward. But he was just full of running tonight.

“His form leading into this race wasn’t bad, but barrier 11 over the short made it what we thought was impossible to win, but as the race panned out the way it did it wasn’t. I think he was over the odds, but his draw played a part in that as well.”

By contrast to the fillies final, there were few surprises in the colts and geldings.

In fact everything went to plan for driver Greg Sugars and team Sahara Breeze in their $100,000 APG Gold Bullion final, though the reinsman was reluctant to take any credit.

Sugars was amid the early aggression, with Esmeraldar initially crossing him before Sugars advanced Sahara Breeze to the lead and then willingly handed up to Little Miss Lily.

It’s not often you’ll see a $1.30 favourite hand over the lead in a 1720-metre sprint but Sugars had them right where he wanted them and so it would prove in the final straight, with Sahara Breeze working past Little Miss Lily to score by a metre.

“I was the one who had the reins in my hands but full credit has to go to (trainer) Gary and Debbie and (regular driver) Chris Alford, they obviously know this horse far better than what I do and that was their plan beforehand, to see if we could find the fence and take a trail on our main danger,” Sugars said.

“It sometimes can be fraught with danger a little bit; sometimes you might be conceding the race to them. But they had the utmost faith in this horse’s ability to sprint over the final furlong and thought she’d be too quick under those circumstances. Full credit to them, not me.”

It was also full credit to owner-breeders Peter Watkinson and Bruce Paul, whose Sahara fleet continue to produce great dividends.

In this instance they paired their mare Sahara Miss, who had previously given them the likes of Sahara Tiger ($200,982) and Sahara Sirocco ($170,872), with Captaintreacherous to produce Sahara Breeze, who’s now won three of her nine starts.

The APG Gold Bullion four-year-old final was a mixed sex affair and, as mentioned, it was the mare Petillante who took the honours in the $80,000 race.

For trainer Emma Stewart and reinsman Mark Pitt, Petillante led and controlled proceedings, holding off the late advance of Eyethink, who sprung from leader’s back after an inspired Aaron Dunn drive, and race favourite District Attorney.

The latter lay in wait until the final turn but despite finishing well was unable to mow down the leaders amid the 27.2-second final quarter.

The win tipped Petillante over $200,000 in career earnings, a formiddable career for the Clayton Tonkin owned mare who’s now been first past the post on 12 occasions.

It was also a memorable night for reinsman Matt Craven, who produced a driving treble with Heza Son Of Agun and We Bettor Believe It scoring for his own stable and then, in the last, he teamed with Amy Day to win on Irvine, gifting the trainer her first Melton winner.

For complete race results, click here.

by Michael Howard, for Harness Racing Victoria