Rematch on the cards after shock defeat

With one big scalp claimed at Tabcorp Park Melton on Saturday night (Aug. 20) harness racing’s Chris Lang revealed he was hungry for more with Giveitatry (American Ideal), who surprised with a stoic win over Catch A Wave (Captaintreacherous).

The latter, a beaten $1.25 favourite in the TAB Vicbred Championship heat, hit the front in the final straight after circling the field only to be pipped late, just the second defeat of his 11-start career.

Giveitatry’s win prompted Lang to hint on TrotsVision that his lightly-raced four-year-old may have a tilt at Victoria’s Inter Dominion, which kicks off on November 26.

“I don’t know what we’ll do now, maybe we’ll put him in the Inter Dominion now, I’m not sure, I’ll have to talk to the owner,” Lang said.

“He went very good. They can only do their best out there, which he did.”

Giveitatry led from gate three and enjoyed a 31.1-second first quarter, leaving plenty in the tank for when Kate Gath advanced Catch A Wave from the back of the field in the final lap.

Amid a 54.4-second last half, the favourite made plenty of ground and appeared to nudge a head clear but hung in late enabling Giveitatry to fight back and score.

GIVEITATRY REPLAY

“I suppose you believe that the other one’s going to run past you, but you keep driving them accordingly and my guy’s in for the dogfight,” Lang said. “I knew they’d gone pretty quick down the back and I didn’t want to go any quicker.

“I know he continues to hit the line, so I just drove my horse to his strength, never really worried about the rest and if he was good enough he could win and that was what he did.”

Gath told TrotsVision that Catch A Wave had suffered a gear malfunction late, which potentially hindered him in the straight and proved costly.

“He has to have the blocks on for the score up,” she said. “I wanted them open in the run so he was relaxed, he was getting a bit keen and the left one snapped. He wanted to hang in up the straight pretty bad because there’s just nothing on that eye.

“Unfortunately, it played a part in the result. I think maybe if it was there, the blocks, he wouldn’t have hung in like that and probably would have got the job done.”

They’ll get their shot at redemption in next Saturday night’s Vicbred Championship Final, a $30,000 rematch at Tabcorp Park Melton.

For complete race results, click here.

by Michael Howard, for thetrots.com.au