Marketplace is something special

Harness racing fans witnessed something special at Addington last night when rising star Marketplace (Bettor’s Delight) stamped his authority on a very good crop of two year olds, impressively winning heat four of the Woodlands Sires’ Stakes Series.

Malakai took up the role of pacemaker before Rubira took over inside the last lap. With Got The Chocolate posted three wide, Marketplace’s driver Craig Ferguson got into the three wide running line but the pair lost some momentum when Marketplace ran into the back of Strikem.

“Craig said to me that the horse did well to keep pressing on,” said trainer Regan Todd.

Rolling out of the last bend Marketplace was starting to run into the race but was five wide and still six lengths away from leader Rubira. When Ferguson asked him to let down, Marketplace came with a powerful sprint down centre track to win by a length and a quarter from Tact Teva, with Rubira a further length and a quarter back in third.

MARKETPLACE REPLAY

‘It was a great win. I was really pleased with that.”

The winning time was 2-24.2.

“We were qualified for the Sires’ Stakes Final so we didn’t need a hard run. We thought that if he did go forward and was left parked it was just going to undo him for next week. It worked out perfect really.”

Todd is under no illusions that winning some of the high staked races in the next few months is not going to be easy.

“There were some super runs in the race like Rubira and Got The Chocolates. They did heaps of work and we did nothing. I’ve got a heap of respect for those horses. I was rapt with the run but I know what’s coming and you still have to prove yourself in the big goes.”

Marketplace is owned by Glenys and Phil Kennard, Peter Baken, Graeme Beirne from Small Car World, John Magness and Todd.

He’s out of the five win Christian Cullen mare Cullen Who and was bred by a group that included Gordon McKenzie and Tony Barron, owners of star trotting mare Queen Elida, and northern race commentator George Simon and his wife Maryanne.

“He was one of those horses that I didn’t think we’d be able to get. We paid $100,000 for him but we didn’t think we were going to get him for that sort of money.”

The partnership has had a number of offers for the gelding but at the moment he’s staying put.

“We all said it was big money but everyone was in the same boat and wanted to race him so it’s worked out bloody great.”

Marketplace will race in the $200,000 NZB Harness Million Pace at Addington on Friday night.

Meanwhile Treacherous Baby (Captaintreacherous) trained by Mark and Nathan Purdon showed her class when coming from a seemingly hopeless position to win the sixth heat of the Nevele R Three Year Old Fillies Series.

TREACHEROUS BABY REPLAY

Many expected driver Blair Orange to go to the top from her inside barrier draw but southerner Flying Ellie powered off the mobile, taking an early lead before Rakero Ice and then Reklaws Dream took turns at leading and leaving Treacherous Baby four back on the inside.

As the field opened up coming out of the last bend, Orange was able to get his filly off the inside and she came down the centre of the track to nab Reklaws Dream by a neck with Flying Ellie two lengths back in third.

For complete race results, click here

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink