Heza Sport books his Cup Day ticket

The harness racing open class pacing ranks got a much-needed shot in the arm on Friday night with a cracking installment of the Maurice Holmes Vase won by the Colin & Julie De Fillipi trained, Heza Sport (Sportswriter).

The 2600m race had more moves than a Korean pop group with six lead changes inside the first lap and quarter.

Corravally Star (Washington VC), Terry (Terror To Love), Classie Brigade (Bettor’s Delight), Mikey Maguire (Mach Three), and race favourite Smiffy’s Terror (Terror To Love) all took turns leading the first time past the winning post.

Going past the 800m mark, Heisenberg (Art Major) had found the top but was under siege from Laver (Art Major) who was serving it up outside the leader as he has become accustomed to over the last 12 months.

The constant lead changes had seen plenty doing mid-race work and a solid temp set.

Having bobbled away, Heza Sport was patiently handled by Colin De Filippi and was nicely positioned one out and three back in the running line.

Peeling for home, the son of Sportswriter unleashed a withering burst to reel in the New Zealand Cup aspirants and book himself a guaranteed spot in the big dance on the second Tuesday in November.

HEZA SPORT REPLAY

The winning time of 3:12.7 was the second fastest running of the Maurice Holmes Vase, however, the time was only a second faster than Heza Sport had produced in a Rangiora trial only 10 days earlier.

It was the gelding’s seventh win in just 16 starts and should give the Broadfield training partnership plenty of confidence going forward given this was just his second start in the open class ranks.

The Falcon (Bettor’s Delight) who found the back of Heza Sport in the running line was pushed wide on the track turning for home, losing crucial momentum, but ran home solidly for a bold second fresh up. His last 800m would have been particularly impressive given they came home in 57.5 off the front with the gelding second to last at the time.

Rounding out the placegetters was his stablemate, Laver, who was incredibly brave working overtime for the last lap of the race to get outside the leader and apply pressure.

Earlier in the night, Midnight Dash (Muscle Hill) was too good fresh up in the inaugural running of the Basil Dean Free For All Trot.

Majestic Man (Majestic Son) was all the rage getting backed into microscopic odds in the six-horse affair.

He couldn’t cross The Dominator (Sundon) however and despite getting a cushy run in the trail, found himself going backward at the 400m marker with The Dominator unable to get him to the lane.

This saw the Greg & Nina Hope trained pair of Enghien (Love You) and Midnight Dash find the top turning for home with the son of Muscle Hill sprinting best to land the prize.

MIDNIGHT DASH REPLAY

Majestic Man lost no admirers in running second, particularly the TAB who withstood a massive betting plunge on the Phil Williamson-trained runner who was able to get within a length of the winner after finding clear air.

A race earlier, the two-year-old pacers were on display with Charlie Brown (Art Major) showing he might be up with the best of his crop when he emphatically put away a quality field of juveniles in the third on the card.

Having slipped under the guard of punters a week earlier when he produced a withering burst to come from back in the field, this time he showed his versatility in sitting outside Franco Mecca (Rock N Roll Heaven) with a lap to go and grinding them into the dust.

The close relative of millionaire Gold Ace looks to have inherited plenty of the family ability, ripping home in 56.8 from the parked position showing he has plenty of strings to his bow for an assault on the juvenile classics later in the year.

For complete race results, click here.

by Brad Reid, for Harnesslink