Violet brings green as Volstead filly lands Classic

A tip from the best in the business led to a paddle going in the air to make a surprisingly cheap harness racing purchase, a succession of events that paved the way for a tremendous return for Nathan Jack at Melton tonight (May 21).

The reinsman paid just $3000 to secure Violet Stanford, a two-year-old trotting filly by Volstead out of Mingara, who produced an early payday in the $50,000 Vicbred Platinum Home Grown Classic final.

“I can’t take much credit for this one,” Jack told TrotsVision. “Clayton Tonkin told me it was a good type, it was in the ring and couldn’t get a bid.

“When Clayton Tonkin says he likes one you sort of have to listen. They were about to knock (the sale) down, it hadn’t had a bid and they were about to get it out of the ring, I just put my hand up, they said $3000.

“(Clayton) said they wouldn’t have sold it, they passed it in. I said, ‘nah, they took my biding number’. He said ‘you’re kidding’.

“It turned out the bloke that bred it (Bruce Phillips with Kerrie Lee) was the bloke who helps us out a lot. I didn’t even know because I didn’t look at the catalogue to be honest with you.”

While the horse may have gone under the notice of many at her Bathurst sale, she had since impressed her trainer and Jack’s enthusiasm was only added to tonight when she improved her record to two wins from as many outings.

It was a largely uneventful win, with Violet Stanford holding the front from gate one, seeing off a modest challenge by fellow heat winner Third Eye who then galloped out of contention.

David Aiken’s well rated Maoris Mac flirted with a challenge late but Jack’s lead was never in doubt and he held on to score by 4.2 metres.

“Quite a nice filly, very inexperienced but great action and a great gaited filly,” Jack said of Violet Stanford. “Hopefully a big future. She’s quite a strong filly but she’s exceptionally fast.

“She hasn’t shown the speed that she’s shown me at the races because she’s not concentrating 100 per cent yet.”

Violet Stanford went gone under the radar at her sale and Chris Svanosio believes his gelding may have also been overlooked ahead of tonight’s Vicbred Platinum Home Grown Classic for two-year-old trotting boys.

While many of his rivals miss-stepped and galloped out of contention, Kyvalley Maven didn’t put a foot wrong in winning comfortably, paying a handsome $14 to the trainer-driver’s surprise.

“I really thought I was on the best horse in the race,” he told TrotsVision. “He’s still got a fair bit to learn, but I was rapt with his (previous) run, running third at his first start in the heat during the week. We thought he could improve a fair bit.

“Obviously with a two-year-old trotter, he’s definitely got a bit to learn, so wanted to do everything right. They were doing things wrong all around him but he held it together terrific.”

The race required a restart after a number of initial gallopers, and soundness was again a problem when they finally got underway, with the winner the only entrant not to have a stewards’ black mark again his name.

Svanosio dropped from gate three to the back of leader Courages Law, who pulled in the run, with Kyvalley Maven pouncing off the final turn to win by four metres, with third placed Henrys Horse a further 20 metres in arears.

Svanosio said it was particularly pleasing to win for owner-breeder Jim Connelly, who paired stallion Tactical Landing with mare Kyvalley Paris to produce the little half-brother of Kyvalley Finn ($245,456).

“It’s terrific to win for Jim,” Svanosio said. “He’s one of the first to give me a horse when I went out on my own a few years back and he’s supported me each year with a well-bred trotter or two, so it’s terrific to get a result for him.

“There haven’t been many out of the mare and obviously (Kyvalley Finn) was just a great little horse for our stable, such a consistent, honest horse, this bloke’s got a really big future ahead of him we think.”

For complete race results, click here.

by Michael Howard, for Harness Racing Victoria