Live Blog – Hunter Cup and Great Southern Star

Leaders King Of Swing and Tornado Valley survived bold challenges from the horses on their backs to respectively win Victoria's richest pacing and trotting races in tonight's TAB Summer Of Glory finale.

King Of Swing claimed an eventful Del-Re National A. G. Hunter Cup, with the emergency only getting a start in the race this morning before leading all-the-way to win the Group 1 $500,000 feature.

And Tornado Valley made amends for last year's scratching from the What The Hill Great Southern Star to win the $250,000 trotting feature, holding off a bold challenge from Red Hot Tooth.

Scroll below to relive all the action through the Live Blog.

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King Of Swing wins the Hunter Cup

A drama-filled lead-in to the A. G Hunter Cup filed into a thrilling two-horse battle to the line, which would see the title claimed by a horse from the west who resides up north.

King Of Swing, having initially been an emergency before gaining a start this morning, led from start to finish to win the Del-Re National A. G. Hunter Cup, surviving a bold challenge from Our Uncle Sam to salute by a half-head.

It was a result that brought delight to many, including previous trainer and part-owner Gary Hall Snr, present trainer Craig Cross and reinsman Gary Hall Jnr, who leapt from bed this morning when he received the sweetest call of all.

"Pretty surreal feeling,” Hall Jnr said post-win. “I went to bed last night without a drive in the race basically, didn't look like he was going to get a run, to get the phone call 5.30 in the morning saying you better get here. It's a rush trip but I was really happy to get the call.”

As the day wore on the situation only got better for King Of Swing and connections. First off San Carlo’s scratching gave him a place in the race, then both gate one (stablemate Alta Orlando) and then gate two (Mach Shard) horses scratched, handing the one-time emergency the pole draw.

Amid continual rain and a pegline dominance throughout the night it was advantage King Of Swing, and he comfortably held the lead and controlled proceedings inside breeze horse Triple Eight, with an 84.5-second lead time proceeding first and second quarters just a tick under 30 seconds.

King Of Swing produced a 27.7-second third quarter to hold challengers at bay, but the favourite Chase Auckland loomed very likely at the final turn after reinswoman Natalie Rasmussen’s patience paid off and a gap appeared.

But the All Stars' entrant’s advance halted short of challenging the leader and instead it was Our Uncle Sam threatening from leader’s back amid a 26.9-second final quarter. King Of Swing looked troubled but lifted to record a thrilling win for his connections.

"I must say half-way down the straight I thought we were going to run a nice second, but like Luke (McCarthy) said, they seem to be able to get to his girth but it's the next half a length that they have trouble with,” Hall Jnr said.

To watch the race click here.

"This horse, it's no secret he's always had great ability. To win the Breeders (Crown) here and now come back and win a Hunter Cup, I'm pretty proud of the horse because I always knew he had that ability. It can be frustrating when you can't get them to put their best foot forward, so for him to get this on his resume is very pleasing.”

It was also a thrill for Gary Hall Snr, who was among an ownership group who paid plenty for the former Ray Green-trained pacer and toiled manfully without much success in Western Australia, prompting the recent stable change to the east coast.

"It's a great result,” Gary Hall Snr said. “I have been trying to win this race for over a decade. I had to give one to Luke McCarthy and Craig Cross to win it.

"I'm over the moon, I'm rapt for Gary (Jnr) too – he's a great driver, one of the best around. It's just been a great night, fantastic, even the rain can't spoil it."

9PM: Tornado Valley wins the Great Southern Star

It's been a long road to wrapping their hands on Victoria's biggest trophy again, but Andy and Kate Gath claimed a second What The Hill Great Southern Star win courtesy of Tornado Valley.

The brilliant front-runner produced an 18th victory from as many races in the lead to claim the $250,000 Group 1, the richest trotting race in Australia.

The victory means all the more after Tornado Valley had to be scratched from the 2019 edition when a commanding favourite and then had a rocky road into the 2020 edition, having erred in the lead-up in his last start and been forced to trial twice to be back in the draw.

"This horse has got a wonderful CV, he was probably going to win this race last year but we had to scratch him on the eve of the race, which was disappointing," Andy said. "To actually win it with this horse – he's achieved so much for us and we love him – it's a great thrill."

Tornado Valley looked in complete control throughout, sliding to the front ahead of polemarker Red Hot Tooth and experiencing little pressure throughout.

A modest lead time and first and second quarters played into the leader's hands, though a little pepper was put into the race as Oscar Bonavena lobbed into the breeze.

Tornado Valley followed a 27.9 third quarter with a 28.8 last 400 metres, and while it was enough to see off Mark Purdon's highly-rated trotter Red Hot Tooth loomed to potentially spoil the party for trainer Kari Males and reinswoman Kerryn Manning.

Red Hot Tooth battled to the final post, but fell a short half-head shy of claiming the crown.

To watch this race click here

"The job he's done, you can't believe it," Kate Gath said of Tornado Valley. "Once again he keeps his unbeaten record in front.

"He didn't win by much, I actually thought on the line Kez might have got me. It was pretty close there, over the moon to win the race again."

9.15PM: Sicario wins The Pure Steel 

Off a terrific Inter Dominion campaign, in which he outshone most expectations to run seventh in the final, Sicario snapped up his first victory back on Australian soil.

Reinsman Chris Alford guided Sicario down the sprint lane in the $30,000 Group 1, mowing down front-runner, the well-backed Bright Energy, to win for trainer Brent Lilley.

8.10PM: Sammy Showdown cruises to Group 3 win

The rise and rise of Sammy Showdown reached a new level, producing a sixth victory in a row via the Group 3 DNR Logistics Vulcan Trotters Free For All.

Continuing a tremendous run for trainer-driver and part-owner Kylie Sugars, Sammy Showdown had complete control of the race, cruising through more than 30 seconds for the first three quarters before putting her well-rated rivals to bed in a 27.5-second final sprint.

"He just keeps stepping up and up and he keeps getting better and better," Sugars said. "He had to step up tonight and he's done that."

She said the result was made all the more special by wearing the Team Teal silks, a fundraiser for ANZGOG, which sees Harness Racing Victoria and the TAB donate $200 for every female win from tonight.

"It's super exciting … to do it on a big night like this is really special, and I'm rapt to throw $200 into the kitty for the Women's Cancer Foundation as well."

7.45PM: Belle Of Montana wins the Pridemore's Electric Ladyship Cup

On a difficult night for the Barry Purdon-Zac Butcher team, whose entrant Mach Shard was scratched from the Hunter Cup, there was more than a little delight in the Group 1 $100,000 Ladyship Cup, with their brilliant mare Belle Of Montana leading and narrowly holding off Bettor Enforce to win.

While Belle Of Montana appeared to have it sown up rounding the bend, it got a little tight late but Butcher was always confident he had enough in hand.

"I felt halfway up (the straight) like I had it pretty comfortably, I had to ask her for a little bit more at the finish and she gave it to me," he said. "It may not have looked pretty but it always felt like I had them covered."

The Kiwi reinsman said it was a pleasing result amid a difficult night.

"(Mach Shard's scratching's) a little disappointing, obviously it would have been great to be in the Hunter Cup, but (Belle Of Montana's) been my favourite horse for a while now, she's been pretty special too, so it's still a good day."

Barry Purdon said Mach Shard had developed a foot abscess and was scratched by the vets after an on-course examination, which he said was "probably fair enough too, he just wasn't quite right".

7PM: Drama in the lead-up to the Hunter Cup

Both the gate one (Alta Orlando) and gate two (Mach Shard) horses were scratched in the hours leading up to the Del-Re National A. G. Hunter Cup, turning the race on its head.

Sadly, stewards reported Alta Orlando sustained lacerations and abrasions to the head and neck and inflammation to the back area during travel to the course. A blow for reinsman Todd McCarthy, trainer Craig Cross and connections.

Then in the following hour, scans of Mach Shard revealed the gelding to be lame and Barry Purdon's runner was also removed.

Mark Purdon, trainer of favourite Chase Auckland who has shifted into Gate 2, told RSN Carnival "the scratchings changed the whole race completely".

"Nat's got options (with Chase Auckland) from there," Purdon told Michael Guerin. "I don't think her intention will be to try and cross King Of Swing."

HRV Trots Media – Michael Howard