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Juanita Breen is hoping Saturday night’s impressive Sulky.App Metropolitan Pace Final winner Roarforroscoe (Betterthancheddar) can deliver on her harness racing bucket list.
Roarforroscoe ($6) made a sustained three wide run without cover for the last 900 metres of the race and fought on resolutely in the home straight to beat $2.40 favourite Beach Memories by a neck.
A BRAVE RUN!
Roarforroscoe shows plenty of courage to get the win in the https://t.co/wlpmqjdr4Q – The Future Of Form Metropolitan Pace Final for trainer-driver Juanita Breen. pic.twitter.com/i3lqZD3mRZ
— The Trots (@TheTrotsComAu) June 24, 2023
The 48-year-old trainer-driver revealed after the race her long-time ambition in the sport.
“I want to win a Group 1 before I turn 50,” Breen said.
“I don’t care which horse but he’s the most likely suspect.”
Breen came within three metres of achieving her goal when the son of Betterthancheddar finished runner-up behind Catch A Wave in last year’s Group 1 Vicbred Super Series (3YO Colts and Geldings) Final.
“He really ripped some ground off Catch A Wave over the last 400 metres after being three back along the pegs,” she said.
“He’s got a motor, but I’m not sure he knows he’s got one or knows how to use it.”
Roarforroscoe has developed a cult following after Breen donated a 10 per cent share in two yearlings to the Harness Racing Challenge.
“Steve Salter, who runs the competition, bought the 10 per cent in this bloke along with a couple of mates and he is named after Steve’s cousin Ross who passed away with cancer,” she said.
“Apparently Ross was a keen Tigers fan who used to roar a lot at the football.”
Meanwhile, Shane Sanderson’s decision to race Vanquish Stride ($26) out of his class was vindicated when the five-year-old dive-bombed his rivals along the sprint lane in the Waste Sense Blacks A Fake Free For All.
There was a hint of confidence emanating from the stable pre-race when Sanderson indicated the son of Bettors Delight was “a sneaky chance from the pole” and the race panned out to script for the Charlton-based trainer.
Vanquish Stride settled three back along the pegs as the leader Huli Nien was allowed to stride freely, with Sanderson’s five-year-old hugging the pegs and wearing down the well-backed front-runner in a slick mile rate of 1:52.0.
The win provided a 20th birthday present for driver Ryan Sanderson, who acknowledged the race couldn’t have unfolded any better.
“It’s the best birthday present – he got the dream run into it and that’s what we were really hoping for and it just all worked out,” Sanderson said.
“We bumped him up in grade so he could draw the one and he’s really good on the fence, he’s a bit of an opportunist if they roll along like they did tonight,” he said.
Outstanding trotting mare Queen Elida made it seven wins from her past eight starts when she outclassed her rivals in the Group 3 Hip Pocket Workwear Matriarch Trot, and driver Chris Alford was quick to rank her with the best he has driven.
“She’s as good as any trotter I’ve driven and the beautiful gate she’s got makes it extra good,” Alford said.
Alford also believes the daughter of Love You has the credentials to follow in the footsteps of Just Believe and prove competitive on the world stage in Sweden.
“I think if she got the chance she wouldn’t let herself or any of us down, that’s for sure,” he said.
A gear malfunction didn’t prevent emerging three-year-old Final Collect from completing a hat-trick of wins in the Happy 60th Jeff Ewing 3YO Pace.
Final Collect pulled out from midfield in the running line to stake his claim with 500 metres to travel before driver Jackie Barker tried in vain to release the ear plugs around the home turn, but the Lance Justice-trained pacer still defied all challenges in the home straight.
Barker said she was concerned when the ear plugs failed to release.
“I was really worried because I couldn’t get the plugs out of him. They got hooked up somewhere and I was a bit worried because he is so blocked up with his eyes. If that horse (Dangerous) got to him he might not have realised it as much,” Barker said.
“Tonight gave me that positive feeling that he can do a bit of work. Two 27 quarters to run home in and he was three wide, and I really like the way he hit the line and kept fighting all the way to the end.”
For complete race results, click here.
by John Dunne, for Harness Racing Victoria
