Recent purchase takes out $150,000 Group One Vicbred Final

An astute recent purchase by Andy Gath provided him with a Group 1 harness racing win after Solesseo Matuca (A Rocknroll Dance) took out the Vicbred Super Series (4YO Entires & Geldings) Final at Melton tonight.

Runner up in his semi-final after facing the breeze, Solesseo Matuca was given a cosy run by Kate Gath who elected to surrender the lead to $1.45 favorite Eyethink and await her chance along the sprint lane.

Solesseo Matuca appeared to travel well on the home turn and once in the sprint lane the son of A Rocknroll Dance quickly mustered speed to score running away from Rubins Plight and Ever Hoping.

Gath purchased the pacer a couple of months ago for prominent Gold Coast based stable owner Norm Jenkin.

“We’re really happy for Norm who has been a long-time client and friend and there has been a bit of a Group 1 drought since Tornado (Valley) and McLovin have been off the scene, so it’s really good to get that for him tonight,” Kate Gath said after the race.

SOLESSO MATUCA REPLAY

Gath revealed Andy kept her in the dark when Solesseo Matuca arrived at their Long Forest stables.

“I didn’t know who it was for three days because Andy wouldn’t tell me because he knew I would say ‘Why did you buy that horse for?” she said.

“But he knew what he was doing because the horse has been so honest and he’s always been up to this grade as a two and three-year-old.”

Gath conceded it was her intention to race forward on the pegs.

“I had to really work for it and had to keep going and get on the fence and luckily we had enough speed to do that and it won him the race,” she said.

“And the plan was if we got pressured to let it go and Eyethink was going to be a good horse to follow.”

For complete race results, click here.

by John Dunne, for Harnesslink