Cambridge and Nelson features in review

Hillbilly Blues (What The Hill) rise to stardom continued with a narrow win over his  stablemate Belle Neige in the $40,000 G3 Cambridge Trotters Flying Stakes at Cambridge tonight.

Driver Tony Herihy took the five year old to the top early, before handing up to Oscar Bonavena.

Halfway down the straight Belle Neige who had created a buffer on the field, looked to be the likely winner. But Herlihy reined up Hillbilly Blues who got the deciding stride and beat his game stablemate by a head.

“A hundred out, I thought ‘no way am I going to pick her up.’ In that last 50 yards he really dug in and sprinted real quick,” Herlihy said of the Michelle Wallis and Bernie Hackett trained trotter.

HILLBILLY BLUES REPLAY

The win was Hillbilly Blue’s nineth in just twenty three starts.

“We’ve always known he’s had ability but he’s just got a lot stronger and he’s racing great.”

It’s the fourth time Herlihy has won the Cambridge trotting feature. His other wins were with Temporale in 2018 and 2019 and Bolt For Brilliance in 2022.

The connections of the squaregaiter will now have to consider the $600,000 TAB Trot, also at Cambridge on the 10^th April.

“I’ll leave it up to Bernie and Michelle, but if there’s a slot available we might take it (laughter).”

Merlin (Art Major) benefited from a tactically smart drive by Zachary Butcher when he won the G3 Cambridge Pacers Flying Stakes for trainers Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan.

Butcher opened the six year old up early and he crossed his three rivals to lead. Mark Purdon did venture to challenge with Akuta, but with the lead not there he pulled his charge back.

“He came off the gate like his bum was on fire tonight. We haven’t tried it for a while but in a four horse field you’ve got to take matters into your own hands. Tonight it was about trying to win the race at the start,” Butcher said.

This allowed Merlin to get away with some cheap sectionals and at the finish he was a length in front of Akuta.

“He relaxed in front and when I asked him to go, he was super. We sprinted at the quarter and he was a monster at the line. It’s the best he’s felt in a while. Very encouraging.”

MERLIN REPLAY

The win was a nice change of luck for Butcher after the pairs Auckland Cup run.

“To get that tonight was pretty cool because things didn’t go our way in the Cup and I beat myself up a bit. So to get one back tonight was pretty cool.”

Meanwhile It’s Tough (Bettor’s Delight) continued his rise through the grades when he narrowly won the Nelson Pine Industries Nelson Cup for his Woodend trainers Robert and Jenna Dunn.

Driver John Dunn ventured forward with a lap to run to take the lead, but It’s Tough tended to knock off and had to be driven hard to keep up the tempo.

Coming up the straight Harrison John was a serious challenger for It’s Tough. However the Dunn runner lived up to his name and went down to the line to win by half a head.

IT’S TOUGH REPLAY

It was the fifth time Robert has won the Nelson feature. He trained and drove National Glory to win in 1990 and his other trained winners have been Alta Orlando in 2017, Donegal’s Guest in 2014 and Mighty Looee in 2023.

The win was one of five for Robert and Jenna Dunn who had a very successful meeting. Their other winners were One Over Da Line, Captain Tyron, Gone Surfin who paced a mile in 1-52, and Candy Kane.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink