Now that’s a great call!

Vladimir The Great (Bettor’s Delight) wasn’t going to be beaten on debut.

The Richard and Julia Aubrey trained runner had the makings of a very nice harness racing horse.

“Vladimir The Great – this boom pacer”

Coming off a series of strong workout and trial performances, Vladimir The Great was installed as the heavy favourite for the 7^th race on the Ashburton card on Thursday the 11^th of November 2011.

Then the sport threw a curve ball – those looking on took in a great race call.

With around a lap of the track to go commentator Mark McNamara has to deal with a mid-race crash, one that takes out a number of horses – although this only heightens the late tension as, with a shrinking number of chances actually able to compete for the win, a pair of horses emerge to engage in an enthralling two-horse-war.

There’s also the fact that the race tempo is against normal transmission, there’s speed on from the around the 1200m mark, Vladimir The Great is taken on and whips are drawn and employed liberally as Shane Walkinshaw and Ken Barron urge their partners for one last effort.

“400 meters to go, Walkinshaw has the whip on Vladimir The Great ”

“Lively GNP – they can hardly pick up their feet”

You can hear the scattered crowd become emotionally involved in the contest – it’s become a tussle of titans – the fact that it’s a maiden is lost in the struggle to the line.

Hear the great call below (it’s a dated video but the excitement is still there)

VLADIMIR THE GREAT REPLAY

A little more about the combatants

Vladimir The Great (Bettor’s Delight – Shy Angel) would remain unbeaten on New Zealand soil, picking up a second win on the 23th of December at Addington before being exported to race in Australia. A Listed Classic win in the Mount Eden Championship Final in November of 2011 proved his biggest victory on Australian soil although a 3^rd in the Anzac Day Cup at Bunbury on the 25^th of April 2015 behind Crusader Banner proved that the horse remained competitive throughout a long racing career.

Lively GNP (Live Or Die – Nature Franco) Out of a powerful dam line Lively GNP won 3 times and placed on a further 10 occasions from his starts in New Zealand – including a maiden win a week after the battle at Ashburton. Exported to Australia in 2012 Lively GNP won a further three times.

One of the horses to be taken out of the race, The Black Lord (Elsu-Visa Girl) notched up wins for Jimmy Curtin and David and Catherine Butt before having a successful Australian racing career, winning no less than 13 times over a 3 year period. A  3^rd place in a Listed Classic event in April of 2014 most probably the best result of his racing career.

by Harnesslink Media