Winners and losers from ID23 second round pacing heats

Local pacer Speak The Truth (Bettor’s Delight) brought to a halt the winning streak of Swayzee when it led all the way in the opening harness racing heat of the ID23 second round of heats at Albion Park.

The Shannon Price trained four-year-old had sufficient early speed to hold the lead from a favorable front row draw and the 54.7 last 800 metres was too great a task for Swayzee ($1.90 fav) to reel in Speak The Truth from mid-field. 

SPEAK THE TRUTH REPLAY

Speak The Truth ($4.40) returned a slick mile rate of 1:51.8,  only two tenths of a second outside Leap To Fame’s track record. 

“You dream of stuff like this,” driver Adam Sanderson said. 

“He went terrific on Saturday night and better again tonight, he just bowled along and was strong on the line and will continue to improve as the series goes on,” he said. 

It was Speak The Truth’s 10th win at the Albion Park circuit. 

A favorite was yet to salute after the Jason Grimson trained Nerano (Tintin In America) ($4.40) bloused his rivals with a stunning finale in the second heat of the night. 

Cameron Hart had Nerano camped behind the leader Turn It Up and the $1.95 favorite Better Eclipse whose driver Greg Sugars made a mid-race move to sit parked for the last lap of the race. 

Better Eclipse drew level with Turn It Up in the home straight but was unable to stave off the finishing burst from Nerano in a 53.7 last 800 metres. 

NERANO REPLAY

Hart was full of praise for the fleet of foot Nerano. 

“He’s super quick this horse, he’s probably the quickest horse I’ve driven over a couple of hundred meters,” Hart said. 

“He’s got gate speed but he relaxed beautifully tonight and was able to show that really good dash that he’s got,” he said. 

With a second placing and now a win,  Nerano is virtually assured of a berth in the Grand Final as is opening night winner Better Eclipse who added a second placing to his points tally. 

Order was restored in the third and final heat of the night when the series favorite Leap To Fame (Bettor’s Delight) prevailed- but he was made to earn the win.

Sent out a $1.12 favorite, Leap To Fame was buried between horses from his second row draw before Grant Dixon was able to extricate him and made a three wide sojourn to the death seat with a lap to travel. 

Leap To Fame was forced to tap into his considerable reserves in order to reel in the sprint laning Spirit Of St Louis and the leader Our Money Rocks in a 26.4 last 400 metres. 

LEAP TO FAME REPLAY

Dixon acknowledged the magnitude of the task that befell Leap To Fame. 

“It was harder than we wanted,” Dixon said. 

“I had to go when I did but it was a hard one for him,” he said. 

Meanwhile,  Dixon is looking forward to the third round of heats with the only unbeaten pacer in the series. 

“I was happy with the way he pulled up after last Saturday night and we look forward to Saturday night which is his pet distance,” he said. 

For complete race results, click here.

by John Dunne, for Harnesslink