Favourites dominate $100,000 3YO features

In the world of Australasian harness racing, where age group features have a tendency to be dominated by a couple of horses in the market, starting quotes of $1.10 and $1.20 for a pair of $100,000 Group Two finals are still somewhat of a rarity.

That was the situation presented with Tin Tin Jo (Tintin In America) and Better Be The Best (Shoobees Place) who were backed as unbeatable to win their respective Cobbitty Equine NSW Breeders Challenge 3YO Finals.

First up was the 3YO fillies final with the brother/sister combination of Ashley and Cameron Hart partnering the Yirribee-bred daughter of Tintin In America who had set tongues wagging when winning her qualifying heat eleven days earlier in a 1:52.9.

TIN TIN JO REPLAY

The winner of the G3 Raith Memorial earlier in the season was the best-credentialed runner in the race, and Hart showed no fear in his assessment pre-race when telling media personality Brittany Graham he expected to lead and control the race from the front.

True to his word, Hart launched early and was never troubled throughout the running of the $100,000 final. The pair cruised to victory under wraps, with 8m back to the second favourite in For A Reason filly, Shez The Reason.

Tin Tin Jo ripped home her last half in 55.1, with a winning mile rate of 1:53.5 to claim the biggest victory of her young race career, with win number 10 unlikely to be her last either.

The win was the second group race success in the young training career of Ashley Hart who tasted Group 3 success 12 months earlier with Defiant winning the Winter Championship, also with brother Cameron in the cart.

Anyone hoping for a little more fireworks in the colts and geldings final was to be sorely let down, with the Nathan Turnbull trained and driven Better Be The Best able to lead easily with a lap left to run, despite being drawn in barrier nine of ten runners.

Once there, it was more of the same with little to no pressure applied to the favoured pair who won as they liked in an impressive 1:52.0 mile rate for the 1609m journey.

The NSW Derby winner was able to easily replicate his success in the NSW Breeders Challenge some 12 months earlier where he also claimed the 2YO final, and now furnishes his record to an impressive 12 wins and two placings from just 17 starts for his owner, Christopher Buttigieg.

BETTER BE THE BEST REPLAY

For complete race results, click here.

by Brad Reid, for Harnesslink