Allamericanlover adds name to elite list of mares in Queen of Hearts

It feels like an eternity since we had Group One harness racing back in the North Island, but that’s exactly what Alexandra Park provided last night (Dec. 16), headlined by the time honoured $100k G1 Queen Of Hearts for the Open Class pacing mares.

While the field may have been lacking the type of superstar mare we have become accustomed to seeing over the 25 installments of the Queen of Hearts, the bottom line is you would love to own any one of the eight runners contesting the G1 feature.

As the unsung heroes of the track and the future broodmares of our industry, it’s always great that knowing besides the stake money, three pedigree pages are going to be vastly improved at the conclusion of a race such as this one.

The Bob Butt-trained Manhattan (Bettor’s Delight) was the punters elect after an impressive dress rehearsal a week earlier having dominated most of this field a week earlier in the G3 Northern Breeders Stakes.

There was plenty of talk pre-race about tactics and who would be leading with David Butcher telling media he would be very keen to lead and hold up behind the Mark Jones three-time G1 winner, Stylish Memphis (Bettor’s Delight), who drawn inside Manhattan in barrier three.

That never eventuated as Matty White had Manhattan out and hissing from the 2200m mobile dispatch, crossing down to the markers comfortably and giving cover to the Andrew and Lyn Neal trained Harder Than Diamonds (Art Major).

Butcher was able to grab the back of the stablemate however and with La Rosa (Bettor’s Delight) and Maurice McKendry parked out the trip, Stylish Memphis had the next best thing with a helmet to follow in the one out and one back position.

With Manhattan out in her customary front running role and looking to replicate the deeds of her younger half-sister in winning a G1 of her own, the tempo was solid and mid race moves never eventuated until the business end of the race.

Stylish Memphis and the Stonewall Stud trained blue blood Darling Me (Sweet Lou) peeled out three and four wide and were asked for the ultimate effort in the run to G1 glory but failed to make any impression on the leader who was off and gone. Or so it seemed!

Deep along the HR Fisken passing lane was James Stormont and the four-year-old daughter of American Ideal in Allamericanlover who had been buried three deep along the markers for much of the trip.

Having not spent a penny, Allamericanlover showed an incredible turn of foot to reel in Manhattan and add her name to the elite list of winners of the G1 feature.

“It worked out perfectly and that’s why you put the good drivers on, because they can adapt to whatever happens,” said her trainer, Steve Telfer after the race.

“I think the initial plan was to work into the race at some stage, but when she did get three the fence, I thought that may not be a bad thing actually.

“She has always had a fair amount of speed but in her races down south she has generally had to show her toughness.

“She is a very versatile mare who tries really hard every time, and she deserves a race like this,” he said.

It’s incredible to think that All American Lover would start as the 4th favourite in a field of eight mares given the stellar season she has enjoyed so far winning six of her 13 races, with very few coming in the company of her own sex.

TAB bookmaker Matt Peden pointed out after the race some of the features the bonny mare having contested earlier whereby in stronger fields, she actually started much shorter than tonight’s $8 quote.

For James Stormont, it was his first winning G1 drive in nearly 15 years with his last success coming behind Susie Maguire back in the 2007 Sires Stakes 2YO Fillies Championships.

Manhattan was game in securing a G1 second for Bob Butt and the big group of owners who have communicated they will be sticking together and breeding from the four-year-old daughter of Bettor’s Delight.

Rounding out the placings was the Andrew & Lyn Neal trained Harder Than Diamonds with her pilot Andre Poutama securing his first G1 placing since dead heating in the Queen of Hearts in 2017 behind Jo’s Dream.

The winning time for the 2200m feature was 2:40.7 with a last mile of 1:57.5 and closing sectionals of 56.3 and 27.7.

ALLAMERICANLOVER REPLAY

For complete Auckland results, click here.

by Brad Reid, for Harnesslink