After Swayzee and Just Believe’s heroics on Tuesday, the Australians will play a huge role at Addington on Friday as well. In all there will be eight Aussies fronting up, headlined by Just Believe (again) and young trotting sensation Keayang Zahara.
Catch A Wave ready to return to winning wins
By Adam Hamilton
Former Miracle Mile winner Catch A Wave is ready to add to his Group 1 haul in tomorrow’s Allied Security $200,000 Group 1 NZ Free-For-All (1980m) at Addington (7.48pm).
On paper, the eight-time Group 1 winner only finished 11th in Tuesday’s Junior Free-for-all, but a deeper look shows he smashed the clock after getting back to last and coming four and five-wide.
“We were really happy with him,” trainer Andy Gath said. “We knew we were always up against it from the draw and didn’t want to risk trying to go forward.
“His sectional times were fantastic and he just kept getting pushed wider and wider. He covered so much extra ground than everything else.”
Backing up quickly has also been a winning formula for Catch A Wave through much of his career.
“Most of his big wins have come on the quick back up,” Gath said. “History tells us he’ll be better this time than Tuesday, that’s part of the reason we made the trip over.
“Tuesday was all about peaking him for this main target.”
Gath has spoken with his wife, Kate, who drives Catch A Wave, about using barrier four to try and lead.
“It’s time to press the button. Finding the marker pegs would be a game changer,” he said.
“Republican Party will get out well from the one, but so too will The Falcon in two. It might be a case of whether one or both will be happy to trail us. Finding the front is certainly Plan A.”
Catch A Wave led throughout to win last year’s Miracle Mile.
The five-year-old brilliantly won the huge Nullarbor/Fremantle Cup double in April, but has been struggling to recapture that form since.
“Strangely, we put some of that down to racing at Melton. For some reason, he seems to do his best racing away from home,” Gath said.
“We’re really happy with how he’s settled in. The run was terrific on Tuesday and a sprint race like this really suits him.”
Catch A Wave has been backed from $6 into $4 since Wednesday’s barrier draw.
He is one three Aussies in the NZ Free-For-All. The others are Jess Tubbs’ Better Eclipse (gate nine, $10) and Aroda (15, $101).
Just Believe looks a sure thing in Trotting Free For All
Everything says the “Harry” show will roll-on at Addington on Friday.
Still buzzing after winning Tuesday’s $NZ400,000 Group 1 Renwick Farms driver and co-trainer Greg Sugars said Just Believe would be at least as good when he backs up.
“He’s come through Tuesday amazingly well, but his resilience and recovery is one of his greatest strengths,” he said.
“When he’s backed up in the past, he thrives on it. Look at those past two Inter Dominions.
“And he did it easily on Tuesday. It wasn’t a hard run for him.
“You’d look at him an hour or so after the race and wouldn’t know he’d gone around.”
Just Believe is chasing his 11th Group 1 win and his sixth win from as many starts in NZ on Friday.
The rising nine-year-old will then return home to chase more history as the first trotter to win three Inter Dominion finals.
Just Believe has gone through the past two Inter Dominions – Melbourne and Brisbane – unbeaten in the heats and finals.
He is a dominant favourite to do the same in the NSW series, which starts at Newcastle on November 29.
The final is at Menangle on December 14.
Keayang Zahara to make eagerly awaited NZ debut
There is an exciting synergy to Just Believe and Keayang Zahara flying the Aussie flag at Addington.
Many believe unbeaten three-year-old filly Keayang Zahara could be the heir apparent to Just Believe.
She is a commanding $1.50 favourite to land her 12th win – and sixth at Group 1 level – in the inaugural $500,000 Majestic Horse Floats LP THE ASCENT (5.36pm).
Keayang Zahara is something else. Many say the way she’s blazed to win 11 since she first raced in April has stamped her as the best young trotter Australia has seen.
She’s already running times most open-class trotters wouldn’t even get close to.
“She’s very exciting, no doubt about it,” driver Jason Lee said. “She’s the best horse our family has had and we’ve had some nice ones go through the place, but she’s the one you dream of getting. The one that makes all the hard work worth it.
“But there’s a pressure that goes with it, a pressure we haven’t felt before, because she hasn’t been beaten yet.
“It’ll happen one day, just hopefully not when she’s racing for such big money this week.”
Keayang Zahara, facing NZ’s best young trotters for the first time, is ideally draw in gate three.
“Paddy Lee (co-trainer) and I just can’t fault her. There’s just no reason she won’t bring her best form to the race, albeit it’s all new and her first time away from home.
“She’s settled well, she’s eating well, even better than she does at home to be honest, and she felt great when we took her in for a spin around Addington last Saturday.”
Despite a lovely barrier, Lee expects the Kiwis to dish it right up to Keayang Zahara.
“I’m sure it won’t be as straightforward as some think. Like, I don’t think she’ll just be rolling straight to the front and winning,” he said.
“The Kiwis are proud. They don’t like us coming over and winning their big races. They didn’t like Swayzee and Just Believe winning the big two on Cup Day.
“They tell me John Dunn (driving Tyron Eros) is going to blast out and try to lead from the outside (gate six) and that the pole marker (Empire City) is a nice trotter and gets out really quickly, too,” he said.
“Ideally, I’d love to drive our filly with a sit because she’s so good coming off a helmet, but they’re young trotters and if the chance came to take her to the lead, I’d do that. It’s the safest place to be.”
The eight Australians in action on Show Day :
Just Believe, One Over All and Arcee Phoenix in the Livamol Group 1 NZ Trotting Free-for-all (4.35pm)
Keayang Zahara in the $500,000 Majestic Horse Floats LP THE ASCENT (5.36pm)
Hes From Heaven in the $500,000 Hill Lee and Scott THE VELOCITY (6.36pm)
Catch A Wave, Better Eclipse and Aroda in the Allied Security Group 1 NZ Pacing Free-for-all (7.48pm)