Mildura Cup heats serve up mixed fortunes

It was a case of a formality and a boilover in tonight’s harness racing heats of the Barry Bottams Mildura Pacing Cup (April 1), with the favorite delivering as expected in the first heat, and a shock result unfolding in the second.

Horsham trainer-driver Aaron Dunn turned in a superb drive to ensure four-year-old entire and punters’ elect Dee Roe (Art Major) scored a soft win in the first qualifier for Friday night’s (Apr 4) $30,000 final.

Dee Roe has been in a super patch of form over the past six months, winning six from his past 10 starts, including a scintillating last start victory at Swan Hill in super quick time (1:52.9).

But there was no need for blistering speed in his Mildura Cup heat – just the ability to avoid a succession of incidents.

Watch the replay here: 

“I got away with murder tonight!” Dunn joked, after he was able to work to the lead and cruise through a 64.5sec first half.

“There was plenty of action early. My plan was to go forward as soon as I could, but I got pushed wide with a horse galloping and then there was a bit of tightening. When I did go around I was surprised how easy I got to the lead,” he said

“The horse is fast if I can sit up on him. He had a nice easy run, and apart from missing a little bit of his beat when having a good look at the sectional board inside the track, he went super and should be spot on for the final,” Dunn said.

“He’s still a stallion, but quiet as anything. He’s also a good doer and loves his food so I’ve always got him on a diet.”

Dunn races Dee Roe with enthusiastic owner-breeder Helen Friend, also of Horsham.

“Helen has been an owner for probably over 20 years. She picked out Dee Roe at the sales,” Dunn said.

“It’s so pleasing to see the horse in form as he’s been unlucky along the way. He ran second in the Breeders Crown after locking wheels one night.”

Charlton-trained mare Joe Got Rolled (Roll With Joe) made the most of her opportunities in despatching her more fancied rivals and taking out the second of the Cup heats.

Drawn in barrier one, young Charlton reinsman Luke Dunne got the five-year-old away swiftly and clearly signalled his intention to hold the lead unless a suitable candidate challenged.

That came with a mile to go in the form of Crime Writer (Mattie Craven), with the unbackable favorite Catalpa Rescue ($1.10), driven by Ryan Sanderson, around 40 metres from the leaders at the rear of the field.

When Sanderson took off to reach the death seat with a lap to go, it appeared a race in two – Crime Writer and Catalpa Rescue.

But Dunne had other ideas and snapped up the opportunity to drive through on the fence with Joe Got Rolled as the tiring leaders shifted off in the run home.

Watch the replay here: 

Winning trainer Joe Thompson was elated with the mare’s first victory since her three-year-old season (2023).

“She was a very good two-year-old – at her first start she finished behind The Lost Storm, and she was just a couple of metres behind Catalpa Rescue and they came home in 25.7 that night,” Thompson said.

“She won three races, but she just had some issues and she wasn’t quite happy.  I think she might have had a stress fracture, which we were never able to get diagnosed, but there were some signs that made me think that’s what it was.

“In the end I gave her six months off and it seems to have done the trick. She’s come back terrific and placed in all but one of her starts.  Her run last week at Swan Hill, when she roared home and got within two metres of Dee Roe was sensational.”

Qualifiers for Friday night’s final are: (Heat 1) Dee Roe, Catchafire NZ, Young Bluey, Rio Rock, Go Away Again and Credulous (Emergency); (Heat 2) Joe Got Rolled, Crime Writer, Assassinator, Abouttime, Catalpa Rescue and Prioritise.

From Terry Gange for Harnesslink