Great watch for Southern Harness Racing followers

Last night (Jan. 28) proved to be a great watch for Southern Harness Racing followers.

In Australia the Southern flag was well and truly flying high led by the Phil Williamson trained Majestic Man’s (Majestic Son) win in the $50,000 Group Two Dullard Trotters Cup at Melton in Victoria.

From gate four driver Brad Williamson let the eight year old run but he had competition early from Sundons Courage (Sundon) with the two matching motors for the early part of the 2240 metre race. Williamson finally got to the top and Majestic Man went on to win by 2.8 metres from another Southern owned trotter Queen Elida (Love You). The winning time was 2-49.9 (1-57.1 mile rate).

Majestic Man is raced by the Griffins Syndicate which tasted success at Oamaru on Wednesday with promising three year old trotter Missile (Trixton).

Williamson says five for the large syndicate were on-course to enjoy the win.

“They’d flown across which was a bit of an undertaking and I was rapt to see them there.”

Majestic Man will now head for the Great Southern Star on the Melton track on Friday running in a heat, with the hope of making the final on the same night. The gelding won the Dullard Trotters Cup two years ago before going into the Great Southern Star where he ran second in his heat. He finished third in the final won by Tornado Valley (Skyvalley).

“I don’t think he’s in better form than he was last time but I think he’ll be a good chance. Any of those big races are hard to win so if you go in the money you’d be happy. If he got a second and a third like he did last time I’d be happy with that. It’s a $300,000 race so it’s for a serious bit of coin.”

Williamson says although most of the runners in last night’s Dullard will probably run in the Great Southern Star it’s likely there’ll be a few new faces.

“I think there’ll be one or two new ones there. Aldebaron Zeus is one that comes to mind. He’s a pretty good short distance horse. I know that Lil (Brent Lilley) is very pleased with him.”

Williamson says the horse’s Australian campaign could last for up to six weeks with plenty of big races on the calendar including  the Grand Prix and Knight Pistol.

“The campaign will be form pending. If he’s winning and paying his way, we’ll keep going because he’s not getting any younger. I think having a lot of racing actually suits him and is the way we need to manage him.”

Phil will stay on with the horse while driver Brad Williamson who has a large team in training, will commute.

Later in the night Phil’s wife Bev was rewarded when Chinese Whisper (Sundon) which she bred, won easily by 11.5 metres in a $20,000 trot. Chinese Whisper was formerly trained by Phil and Bev’s son Nathan and won eight races here before being sold to Australia where he’s won a further five for Andy Gath. After breaking in a handful of starts in Australia he appears to have turned a corner and is in the zone at the moment.

Meanwhile in New South Wales Southern horses won three races in a row at Menangle.

Cantfindabettorman (Sweet Lou) won for trainer Belinda McCarthy pacing the mile in 1-51.8 and winning by 16.2 metres. The four year old was bought and developed by Otago trainer Graeme Anderson. Anderson and the horse’s New Zealand owners still have shares in the gelding which has now won eight of it’s twenty three starts.

In the very next race Braeview Kelly (Bettor’s Delight) owned by Eastern Southland couple Paul and Mandy Pearse won over a mile in 1-50.0. 

It was the mare’s first start since October and since heading to Australia she’s won seven of her ten starts recording a best time of 1-49.6. The five year old is trained by Jack Trainor.

The great night at Menangle was rounded out in the next race when most of the owners in Cantfindabettorman watched Spirit Of St Louis (Sweet Lou) which they still have shares in win over 2300 metres. 

Also trained by McCarthy the six year old gelding finished strongly to win by 3.5 metres.

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink