Rasmussen tops $13 million in stakes with G1 NZ Messenger win

New Zealand harness racing’s latest dual millionaire, Self Assured (Bettor’s Delight), was never afforded the opportunity of running in a New Zealand Messenger in the once-upon-a-time four-year-old feature back in 2020.

The global pandemic put pay to that with the race being canned for the only time in its 65-year history.

Tonight (Apr. 28), at Alexandra Park, the seven-year-old rewrote those wrongs and etched his name in the record books with an emphatic win in the G1 $80,550 feature.

His 28th career victory realised his seventh Group One and third at Alexandra Park alongside his two Auckland Cup triumphs. While tonight’s success was very much about a champion of our track, it’s hard to look past the performance of his latest partner in crime, Natalie Rasmussen.

She is arguably the greatest female of all time to sit in a sulky anywhere in the world and has been in sublime form in limited opportunities this season. The $49,500 winning stake was enough to push Rasmussen who has only been driving part time I guess you could say (compared to her contemporaries) past $13 million in NZ stake money since joining the All Star’s stable in 2012.

Tonight, she was at her brilliant best yet again, spearing Self Assured to the lead at the first sign of an easing in the pace after race rivals Copy That and Kango burned hard early while jostling for position.

Once in front, the pair dictated the tempo with some soft sectionals before ripping home in a sublime 53.9 seconds leaving the opposition little chance of catching them.

“He is one of the horses who is a bit of an opportunist. When they worked hard early, I thought I may as well put him into the race,” said Rasmussen.

“He is just such a cool guy, he dropped his head, dropped the bit, relaxed, and when they run up beside him, he realised it was time to get to work. He is just a great little horse, and I’m really proud of him. He’s a trooper who just always does his best,” she said.

SELF ASSURED REPLAY

Race favourite Copy That was gallant in chasing home the Mark and Nathan Purdon trained winner having to burn early before being somewhat forced to take a sit behind his archrival. With no mid-race pressure, there was very little he could do but sit back and hope for the best.

“He’s gone good,” said his regular pilot, Blair Orange.

“It was a bit of a dawdle through middle stages and a dash home and it’s very hard to give a horse like Self Assured a start like that when they get it easy in front but I’m really proud of him,” he said.

Australia’s lone hope in the race, Better Eclipse was brave in third in his bid to replicate last year’s triumph by compatriot, Majestic Cruiser.

The Jess Tubbs trained pacer worked off the markers to sit parked for 600m before receiving cover from John Dunn and Smiffy’s Terror halfway down the back straight. Once asked for the ultimate effort he sprinted superbly to get within a length of the winner and secure himself his second G1 placing in as many weeks on NZ soil.

“I’m really proud of him,” said his driver, Greg Sugars.

“It didn’t quite work out exactly how I would have liked but he hit the line and I was pretty happy with his effort,” he said.

For complete Alexandra Park race results, click here.

by Brad Reid, for Harnesslink